ts, both of you," said Father; but he blew his nose
violently, and I knew from experience how the lump in his throat felt.
"Now take me in to see Dr. Byrd."

"Howdy," said Lovey, as Father shook hands with him and the toad at
the same time. "Did you get any more cholera? Did the medicine work?"

"Yes, the medicine worked--more ways than one," answered Father with a
pleased laugh. And he talked to Lovelace Peyton all the time about a
man who got blown up in a mine that he saw in Pennsylvania, so that he
made no objections while Uncle Pompey took out all his "live stock."

While the Idol and Roxanne and I did up the room, with his own hands
Father bathed Lovelace Peyton and put on his clean, patched little
night-clothes; and I saw one big tear, that came from the very bottom
of the big man's heart, I know, splash on the biggest patch, as he was
guiding the little groping hands into the armhole.

Then while I was buttoning Roxanne into a clean dress and the Idol was
carrying out the last mop, the doctor came in the front door. I was so
dirty with the cleaning that I retired to the kitchen and helped the
Idol into his collar and coat and to get his hands clean so he could
hurry on in to help. Uncle Pompey had got his usual violent spell of
asthma and I had just lighted his pipe for him when the Idol came back
to the door of the kitchen.

"You'll have to come, Phyllis," he said, with a smile that took the
anxiety off his face for an instant. "Lovey refuses to let the doctor
touch him without you. Come quick! The doctor says the light is
beginning to go."

I went, soiled dress and crying eyes and hair all rumpled and mussed
with the excitement.

"Phyllie," said Lovelace Peyton, who was sitting up in bed defying
them all, "I ain't a-going to let that doctor touch me 'thout you
stand right here and tell me how it all looks just as he does it.
Don't leave out any bleed that comes, or any blue flesh or nerves or
nothing. You know how, 'cause I have teached you. Neither Doug or Roxy
ain't no good with symptoms."

"I will, Lovelace Peyton, I will," I answered; but I shuddered, for
how could I stand to see him tortured, as I felt he was going to be?

[Illustration: "You stand right here and tell me how it all looks"]

But I did--and it makes me weak to think about it now so that I shake
all over. As the instruments pried and pulled and injected the aseptic
solutions I held his hand tight and talked as hard as I could. At