When he and George were left alone he said tersely:
“Of course you and your mother are lying.
You had this man stripped, he did cry out, and he
did die from the pain of the treatment you tried to
give him, in his condition. By the way, where’s
your wife? This is a bad thing for her right
now. Come, let’s find her and see what
state she is in.”
Together they left the room and entered Kate’s
door. As soon as the doctor was busy with her,
George slipped back into the closed room, rolled Peter
on his back and covered him, in the hope that the
blood would settle until it would efface the marks
of his work before the Coroner arrived. By that
time the doctor was too busy to care much what happened
to Peter Mines; he was a poor old soul better off
as he was. Across Kate’s unconscious body
he said to George Holt: “I’m going
to let the Coroner make what he pleases out of this,
solely for your wife’s sake. But two things:
take down that shingle. Take it down now, and
never put it up again if you want me to keep still.
I’ll give you what you paid for that table.
It’s a good one. Get him out as soon as
you can. Set him in another room. I’ve
got to have Mrs. Holt where I can work. And send
Sarah Nepple here to help me. Move fast!
This is going to be a close call. And the other
thing: I’ve heard you put in an application
for our school this winter. Withdraw it!
Now move!”
So they set Peter in the living room, cleaned Kate’s
room quickly, and moved in her bed. By the time
the Coroner arrived, the doctor was too busy to care
what happened. On oath he said a few words that
he hoped would make life easier for Kate, and at the
same time pass muster for truth; told the Coroner
what witnesses to call; and gave an opinion as to
Peter’s condition. He also added that
he was sure Peter’s family would be very glad
he was to suffer no more, and then he went back to
Kate who was suffering entirely too much for safety.
Then began a long vigil that ended at midnight with
Kate barely alive and Sarah Nepple, the Walden mid-wife,
trying to divide a scanty wardrobe between a pair of
lusty twins.
A NEW IDEA
Kate slowly came back to consciousness.
She was conscious of her body, sore from head to
foot, with plenty of pain in definite spots.
Her first clear thought was that she was such a big
woman; it seemed to her that she filled the room,
when she was one bruised ache from head to heels.
Then she became conscious of a moving bundle on the
bed beside her, and laid her hand on it to reassure
herself. The size and shape of the bundle were
not reassuring.
“Oh, Lord!” groaned Kate. “Haven’t
You any mercy at all? It was Your advice I followed
when I took wing and started out in life.”
A big sob arose in her throat, while at the same time
she began to laugh weakly. Dr. James heard her
from the hall and entered hastily. At the sight
of him, Kate’s eyes filled with terrified remembrance.
Her glance swept the room, and rested on her rocking
chair. “Take that out of here!” she
cried. “Take it out, split it into kindling
wood, and burn it.”
