第34章

A Country RoadWHATEVER DOUBTS and anxieties I may have had about the inconvenience of the Begg's high wagon for a person of Mrs.

Blackett's age and shortness, they were happily overcome by the aid of a chair and her own valiant spirit.Mrs.Todd bestowed great care upon seating us as if we were taking passage by boat, but she finally pronounced that we were properly trimmed.When we had gone only a little way up the hill she remembered that she had left the house door wide open, though the large key was safe in her pocket.

I offered to run back, but my offer was met with lofty scorn, and we lightly dismissed the matter from our minds, until two or three miles further on we met the doctor, and Mrs.Todd asked him to stop and ask her nearest neighbor to step over and close the door if the dust seemed to blow in the afternoon.

"She'll be there in her kitchen; she'll hear you the minute you call; 'twont give you no delay," said Mrs.Todd to the doctor.

"Yes, Mis' Dennett's right there, with the windows all open.It isn't as if my fore door opened right on the road, anyway." At which proof of composure Mrs.Blackett smiled wisely at me.

The doctor seemed delighted to see our guest; they were evidently the warmest friends, and I saw a look of affectionate confidence in their eyes.The good man left his carriage to speak to us, but as he took Mrs.Blackett's hand he held it a moment, and, as if merely from force of habit, felt her pulse as they talked; then to my delight he gave the firm old wrist a commending pat.

"You're wearing well; good for another ten years at this rate," he assured her cheerfully, and she smiled back."I like to keep a strict account of my old stand-bys," and he turned to me.

"Don't you let Mrs.Todd overdo to-day,--old folks like her are apt to be thoughtless;" and then we all laughed, and, parting, went our ways gayly.

"I suppose he puts up with your rivalry the same as ever?"asked Mrs.Blackett."You and he are as friendly as ever, I see, Almiry," and Almira sagely nodded.

"He's got too many long routes now to stop to 'tend to all his door patients," she said, "especially them that takes pleasure in talkin' themselves over.The doctor and me have got to be kind of partners; he's gone a good deal, far an' wide.Looked tired, didn't he? I shall have to advise with him an' get him off for a good rest.He'll take the big boat from Rockland an' go off up to Boston an' mouse round among the other doctors, one in two or three years, and come home fresh as a boy.I guess they think consider'ble of him up there." Mrs.Todd shook the reins and reached determinedly for the whip, as if she were compelling public opinion.

Whatever energy and spirit the white horse had to begin with were soon exhausted by the steep hills and his discernment of a long expedition ahead.We toiled slowly along.Mrs.Blackett and I sat together, and Mrs.Todd sat alone in front with much majesty and the large basket of provisions.Part of the way the road was shaded by thick woods, but we also passed one farmhouse after another on the high uplands, which we all three regarded with deep interest, the house itself and the barns and garden-spots and poultry all having to suffer an inspection of the shrewdest sort.

This was a highway quite new to me; in fact, most of my journeys with Mrs.Todd had been made afoot and between the roads, in open pasturelands.My friends stopped several times for brief dooryard visits, and made so many promises of stopping again on the way home that I began to wonder how long the expedition would last.I had often noticed how warmly Mrs.Todd was greeted by her friends, but it was hardly to be compared with the feeling now shown toward Mrs.

Blackett.A look of delight came to the faces of those who recognized the plain, dear old figure beside me; one revelation after another was made of the constant interest and intercourse that had linked the far island and these scattered farms into a golden chain of love and dependence.

"Now, we mustn't stop again if we can help it," insisted Mrs.

Todd at last."You'll get tired, mother, and you'll think the less o' reunions.We can visit along here any day.There, if they ain't frying doughnuts in this next house, too! These are new folks, you know, from over St.George way; they took this old Talcot farm last year.'Tis the best water on the road, and the check-rein's come undone--yes, we'd best delay a little and water the horse."We stopped, and seeing a party of pleasure-seekers in holiday attire, the thin, anxious mistress of the farmhouse came out with wistful sympathy to hear what news we might have to give.Mrs.

Blackett first spied her at the half-closed door, and asked with such cheerful directness if we were trespassing that, after a few words, she went back to her kitchen and reappeared with a plateful of doughnuts.

"Entertainment for man and beast," announced Mrs.Todd with satisfaction."Why, we've perceived there was new doughnuts all along the road, but you're the first that has treated us."Our new acquaintance flushed with pleasure, but said nothing.

"They're very nice; you've had good luck with 'em," pronounced Mrs.Todd."Yes, we've observed there was doughnuts all the way along; if one house is frying all the rest is; 'tis so with a great many things.""I don't suppose likely you're goin' up to the Bowden reunion?" asked the hostess as the white horse lifted his head and we were saying good-by.

"Why, yes," said Mrs.Blackett and Mrs.Todd and I, all together.

"I am connected with the family.Yes, I expect to be there this afternoon.I've been lookin' forward to it," she told us eagerly.

"We shall see you there.Come and sit with us if it's convenient," said dear Mrs.Blackett, and we drove away.

"I wonder who she was before she was married?" said Mrs.Todd, who was usually unerring in matters of genealogy."She must have been one of that remote branch that lived down beyond Thomaston.