When he had finished milking he glanced in at the open door of the tool
house. Dick lay where Roger had left him, staring with eyes of feverish
agony at the roof above his head. Roger, without a word, went back to
the plant. To his relief, Felicia appeared at the breakfast table, very
hungry and quite herself. But Charley was not able to get up. It seemed
as if the long years of strain had culminated in yesterday's events, and
that Charley had no will-power left.
The girl lay on Ernest's cot, the tent flap lifted beside her, with no
apparent desire save to stare at the desert dancing in heat waves
against the sky. What thoughts were passing behind those quiet brown
eyes, no one knew.
It was mid-morning when Roger went in to see her. He pulled a box up
beside the cot. "Well, old dear," he said. "How is the head?"
Charley smiled. "Sore and aching, but better than during the night. I am
so tired and that's very unusual. I'm always so strong."
Roger nodded. "It was a bad knock, to leave you senseless for half an
hour. I suspect you ought to take pretty good care of yourself for
several days. I've been talking with Elsa and she thinks you ought to
stay here for a few days. And I do too. Don't worry about Dick. I saw
him this morning and he'll be himself by sundown. And I've promised
Elsa I won't see him again until after she does."
Charley eyed Roger's long brown face as if taking in the full
significance of all he had said. Then she gave a little sigh of relief.
"If I could rest here in this peaceful tent, just for a day or two."
"The tent's all right at night, but I've moved Gustav's cot into the
engine house, and I'm going to help you over there. It's ten degrees
cooler than here. Elsa and Felicia are established there and I won't
disturb you for I'm drawing, which act is noiseless."
In a dim corner of the adobe engine house in Gustav's cot Charley spent
the day. Elsa, when she was not playing housekeeper sat beside her with
her sewing and Felicia visited between the cot and Roger's drawing
board.
Once when Charley seemed to be in an uneasy sleep, Felicia asked Roger,
"Is Charley very sick?"
"Not really sick at all, chicken. She's just tired. She's worked too
hard for you and Dick."
Felicia stared at him with her innocent, speculative gaze so like
Charley's, yet so unlike.
"Can't we live here with you, instead of up at the ranch, Roger? I know
Charley would like it better."
"You can stay and make us a visit, anyhow. Then we'll see."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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