Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill; Or, Jasper Parloe's Secret
John Stuart Mill · en
Yet in this case it seemed as though the miller himself had as much to
do with the successful outcome of the plan as anybody. He had little
to say about it--or little to say at first to the crippled girl. But
he saw that Aunt Alvirah and Ruth had the east bedroom ready for
Mercy's occupancy before he started to town with his usual load of
flour and meal on Saturday afternoon; and he was at home in good
season for supper with the empty grain sacks, the fruits of his
Saturday's trading, and Mercy's wheel chair in the wagon. But before
he returned to the Red Mill the Camerons' big car, with Helen and Tom
and the chauffeur, flashed past the Red Mill on its way to town and in
a remarkably short time reappeared with Mercy sitting beside Helen in
the tonneau. Doctor Davison arrived at about the same time, too, and
superintended the removal of the cripple into the house.
Mercy was as excited as she could be. There was actually color in her
face. She was so excited that she forgot to be snappy, and thanked
them all for their kindness to her.
"Into bed you go at once, Mercy," commanded Doctor Davison; "and in
the morning you may get up as early as you please--or as early as
Ruth gets up." For Ruth was to sleep on the couch in the sick girl's
room during her visit to the Red Mill.
The doctor drove the Camerons away then, and adjured Mercy to be
quiet, leaving her to the tender nursing of Ruth and Aunt Alvirah.
Mercy was in a mood to be friendly with everybody--for once. She was
delighted with Aunt Alvirah. When Uncle Jabez arrived with the
wheelchair she actually made him do errands for her and talked to him
with a freedom that astonished both Ruth and Mrs. Alvirah Boggs.
"There! I knew you'd do it, Dusty Miller," Mercy said to the old man,
tartly. "You men are all alike--just as forgetful as you can be. It's
all very well to bring this old wheelchair; but where are my two
sticks? Didn't they give you my canes, Dusty Miller? I assure you I
have to move around a bit now and then without using this horseless
carriage. I've got to have something to hobble on. I'm Goody
Two-sticks, I am. You know very well that one of my legs isn't worth
anything at all."
"Ha!" croaked Jabez Potter, eyeing her with his usual frown, "I didn't
bring any canes; because why? There weren't any given me. They're not
in the wagon."
"My! do you always frown just like that?" demanded Mercy Curtis, in a
manner which would have been impertinent in any other person, but was
her natural way of speaking. "You don't waste your time in smiling and
smirking; do you?"
"I never saw any use in it--unless ye had something perticular to
smile for," admitted Mr. Potter.
"Then it won't spoil your smile if I tell you that you'll have to find
me canes somewhere if I'm to help myself at all," she said.