William Blair afterwards declared,
were enough to give a body the creeps.
"Salome," she said in a high, shrill, unnatural voice,
"where is your crutch?"
Salome came to herself at the question. For the first time,
she realized that she had walked, nay, run, all that distance from
the church alone and unaided. She turned pale, swayed, and would
have fallen if Judith had not caught her.
Old Dr. Blair came forward briskly.
"Carry her in," he said, "and don't all of you come crowding in, either.
She wants quiet and rest for a spell."
Most of the people obediently returned to the church,
their sudden loosened tongues clattering in voluble excitement.
A few women assisted Judith to carry Salome in and lay her on
the kitchen lounge, followed by the doctor and the dripping
Lionel Hezekiah, whom the minister had lifted out of the hogshead
and to whom nobody now paid the slightest attention.
Salome faltered out her story, and her hearers listened
with varying emotions.
"It's a miracle," said Sam Lawson in an awed voice.
Dr. Blair shrugged his shoulders. "There is no miracle
about it," he said bluntly. "It's all perfectly natural.
The disease in the hip has evidently been quite well for a long time;
Nature does sometimes work cures like that when she is let alone.
Pages:
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290