I must
have mamma's medicine-box and a wheelbarrow of ice; and let Hominy make
some strong tea and hot-water toast. Virgie, do not forget that this
sick gentleman is my husband, and a part of our own family!"
"The girl's face preserved its respect with difficulty as she heard the
last part of the sentence, but she replied to What she understood to be
a warning by saying:
"Miss Vessy, I never tell anybody tales."
"No, dear, you do not. I only feared you might forget the very different
view we must take of Mr. Milburn from his former life here."
Being again left alone, Vesta took the tin cup of spring-water, and,
raising the disturbed man's head, she gave him a drink, and, as he
opened his eyes to see whom it was, she heard him say, with an
articulate sigh:
"Heaven."
With the remainder of the water and her handkerchief she washed his hot
skin and kept it moist, and fitful murmurs, as "Darling!" "Angel!"
"Beautiful lady!" came from his roving brain as perception and poison
contended for his mind. The inborn sense in woman of happiness after
doing good offices and being appreciated was attended with a certain
intellectual elation, and even amusement, at having witnessed what was
altogether new to her,--the life of the meaner class of white people.
She looked at the dexterous silhouette of herself, cut, probably, from
memory, long ago, by the man, no doubt, who never knew her until
yesterday, and, guessing the companion profiles to be his mother and
father, she exclaimed, mentally:
"I cannot see anything insincere about this man's statement to me.
Pages:
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187