She knelt beside him, took off his straw hat and fanned him. Then she
lifted his head upon her knee and fanned more vigorously. Her big
blue eyes were gazing at him when he opened his and looked up into
her face. Again, a rosy flush came to her cheeks.
"I'm better now," said he. "I'm not very strong, but I can walk now."
He got up with a show of vigour that did not deceive Mary.
"You rest here, and I'll send your uncle for you with a carriage."
"By no means, Miss Mary, It was only a momentary feeling. Throwing
him over my head is what did it."
"I'm so sorry you met Mr. Wood and me."
"Well, I'm not, Miss Mary. Uncle 'Zeke told me that Bob Wood's father
used to be the town bully, and that my father, when they were both
young, gave him a good thrashing. I've watched Bob--we were in school
together, and he was always impudent and overbearing to me when I was
a little fellow. I've felt that some day we'd have it out together.
I'm glad it's over, and that I had the good fortune to serve you at
the same time."
Mr. Dana thanked Quincy for his defence of his daughter from further
insult and perhaps injury.
"I've been in a good many scraps myself, Mr. Sawyer. For seventeen
years I was a member of the detective squad in Boston. I resigned
because of injuries received in a fight with some bank robbers," and
he pointed to the crutches beside his chair, "and although they
wanted me to stay at police headquarters I wouldn't hang onto a job I
couldn't do to my own satisfaction.
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