“Thank you!” she said as she dropped on the log and leaned her head
against the tree. It appeared as if her eyes closed a few seconds in
spite of her, and while they were shut the Harvester looked steadily
and intently on a face of exquisite beauty, but so marred by pallor and
lines of care that search was required to recognize just how handsome
she was, and if he had not seen her in perfection in the dream the
Harvester might have missed glorious possibilities. To bring back that
vision would be a task worth while was his thought. With the first faint
quiver of an eyelash the Harvester took a few steps and bent over a
plant, and as he did so the Girl's eyes followed him.
He appeared so tall and strong, so bronzed by summer sun and wind, his
face so keen and intense, that swift fear caught her heart. Why was he
there? Why should he take so much trouble for her? With difficulty she
restrained herself from springing up and running away. Turning with
the plant in his hand the Harvester saw the panic in her eyes, and
it troubled his heart. For an instant he was bewildered, then he
understood.
“I don't want you to work when you are not able,” he said in his most
matter-of-fact voice, “but if you still think that you are, I'll be very
glad. I need help just now, more than I can tell you, and there seem to
be so few people who can be trusted. Gathering stuff for drugs is really
very serious business. You see, I've a reputation to sustain with some
of the biggest laboratories in the country, not to mention the fact
that I sometimes try compounding a new remedy for some common complaint
myself. I rather take pride in the fact that my stuff goes in so fresh
and clean that I always get anywhere from three to ten cents a pound
above the listed prices for it. I want that money, but I want an
unbroken record for doing a job right and being square and careful, much
more.”
He thought the appearance of fright was fading, and a tinge of interest
taking its place. She was looking straight at him, and as he talked he
could see her summoning her tired forces to understand and follow him,
so he continued:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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