A Daughter of the Land

Then Kate went to her room feeling faint and heavy. She lay there

most of the day, becoming sorrier for herself, and heavier every

passing hour. By morning she was violently ill; when she tried to

leave her bed, dizzy and faint. All day she could not stand.

Toward evening, she appealed to George either to do something for

her himself, or to send for the village doctor. He asked her a

few questions and then, laughing coarsely, told her that a doctor

would do her no good, and that it was very probable that she would

feel far worse before she felt better. Kate stared at him in dumb

wonder.

"But my school!" she cried. "My school! I must be able to go to

school in the morning. Could that spring water have been infected

with typhus? I've never been sick like this before."

"I should hope not!" said George. And then he told her bluntly

what caused her trouble. Kate had been white to begin with, now

she slowly turned greenish as she gazed at him with incredulous

eyes. Then she sprang to her feet.

"But I can't be ill!" she cried. "I can't! There is my school!

I've got to teach! Oh, what shall I do?"

George had a very clear conception of what she could do, but he

did not intend to suggest it to her. She could think of it, and

propose it herself. She could not think of anything at that

minute, because she fainted, and fell half on the bed, half in his

arms as he sprang to her. He laid her down, and stood a second

smiling triumphantly at her unheeding face.

"Easy snap for you this winter, Georgie, my boy!" he muttered. "I

don't see people falling over each other to get to you for

professional services, and it's hard work anyway. Zonoletics are

away above the head of these country ignoramuses; blue mass and

quinine are about their limit."

He took his time to bathe Kate's face. Presently she sat up, then

fell on the pillow again.

"Better not try that!" warned George. "You'll hurt yourself, and

you can't make it. You're out of the game; you might as well get

used to it."

"I won't be out of the game!" cried Kate. "I can't be! What will

become of my school? Oh, George, could you possibly teach for me,

only for a few days, until I get my stomach settled?"

"Why, I'd like to help you," he said, "but you see how it is with

me. I've got my fall work finished up, and I'm getting ready to

open my office next week. I'm going to rent that nice front room

over the post office."

"But, George, you must," said Kate. "You've taught several terms.

You've a license. You can take it until this passes. If you have

waited from June to October to open your office, you can wait a

few more days. Suppose you OPEN the office and patients don't

come, or we haven't the school; what would we LIVE on? What would

I buy things with, and pay doctor bills?"