Maid Sally Part 28

Doctor Hanc.o.c.ke, who had knowledge of diseases and wounds as well as of drugs and medicines, made himself both useful and welcome. He soon found Lionel among the badly wounded, his hurt having come through a spent ball that hurled the young man against a gun-carriage with such force that his back was injured and one shoulder put out of joint. Then, as fever had set in, the young man was in a bad way.

Sally could well have both laughed and cried at Mammy Leezer when they told her Lionel's case was thought to be serious.

She put on her most dragoon-like air, and seemed defying the whole army to tell her that again.

"Who say dat dat boy am hurt powerful bad?" she sniffed. "Ain't they done been tole his ole Mammy am come? What's goin' to be de matter with my Mars' Lion once I gets to nussin' 'im? They better stop cackling, de whole caboodle ob dem, and leave my Mars' Lion 'lone with me!"

They were only too glad to have the capable old woman around. And in truth, so jealous was Mammy Leezer of her charge that she would allow no one to a.s.sist her day or night except Sally, even attending to the wounded shoulder herself, which Doctor Hanc.o.c.ke felt satisfied she was treating with skill.

Sally was glad to see in how many ways she could make herself useful.

She showed fine nerve and fettle, even helping to wind the bandages around a wound, and being left in charge of certain sick ones while older nurses attended to those who were more helpless.

For a few days she was allowed to sit by her Fairy Prince only while Mammy Leezer made his gruel and steeped certain herbs she had brought with her. Then Mammy trusted her to watch him while she stole away about ten minutes at a time to indulge in a comforting little smoke.

Lionel was said to be doing well, although he lay with closed eyes and did not seem to know any one. His father rode to Great Bridge on Lord Rollin, but did not long remain. He was not welcome in camp; there was nothing he could do, so he went away telling Mammy Leezer he should come soon again.

It was Sally's best hour of the day when Mammy Leezer went to the cook-room to prepare gruel and she was left alone with her Fairy Prince.

One rosy afternoon in late December, she bent over him and gently pushed a lock back from his forehead. It would not stay, and for a moment she held the fair lock back.

To her surprise she all at once looked into the deep blue eyes, which were open and looking directly into her own.

"Who is it?" he whispered.

Sally flushed, dimpled, smiled; but for an instant could not turn her eyes away.

"Who is it?" asked a weak voice.

"A Fairy," she said, in a spirit of mischief.

"Who is it?" came in a little stronger tone.

Just then Mammy came back, and the question reached her quick ear.

"I think he has come to himself," said Sally, as she made way for the delighted old woman.

"Who is it?" Lionel kept repeating, "who is it? What is the Fairy's name?"

"Now, honey, what you talkin' 'bout?" said Mammy, comfortably stirring the gruel she held. "Jus' you keep quiet and drink this, and your ole Mammy have you hoppin' about as spry as a skeeter in de twinklin' ob an eye."

"No, no, Mammy," cried the young man, in a weak voice, but masterful way, "who was it bent over me? I must know. They always thought me wandering in mind after my fall in the pine woods. I saw a Fairy face bending over me, and a fair creature gave me water. I saw the Fairy again, just a glimpse, and once more, just now. I'll take neither bite nor sup till I see her again!"

Sally had disappeared. She grew frightened at thought of having the Fairy Prince try to find her out, and off she ran as Mammy went up to the cot.

She was quietly feeding a man whose right arm was in a sling, when Mammy Leezer's plump, rolling figure came toward her.

"Yo'll done hev to come and see Mars' Lion," said Mammy, "he's comin'

'roun' all right shor', for he's pert as a two-year-ole rooster! He won't take de grool from his ole Mammy, nor anyting, till he see de Fairy he done gone crazy 'bout. You better get some un else to feed dat man, and tote ober to Mars' Lion."

The feeding was really through with, and Sally, trembling and flus.h.i.+ng, went back to the side of her Fairy Prince.

He held out his hand, and Sally put hers into it.

"Let me look at you," he said.

Sally went nearer.

"Yes, it is the very face! The one that bent over me in the woods. Tell me," he said, "did you not give me water when I lay stunned one day near Lover's Lane?"

"Yes," said Sally.

"And tell me," he asked again, his face getting flushed and his voice rising, "have I not seen your face since, just for an instant? But the eyes, the dimples, the mouth are the same. When was it?"

He was getting wrought up, and Mammy grew anxious.

"Do fo' de goodness sake tell 'im ebberyting you know, and hab done with it!" she said, in a low tone, twitching Sally's sleeve. "It won't do to cross 'im nohow; he'll be down with de fever jinks, first ting we know."

Sally bent over him, her dark eyes meeting his blue ones.

"They told of your being a prisoner," she said, simply, "and I thought it a shame. I wanted to help the country, so I brought you Hotspur. You saw me hiding in a tree. Now please let me go," and she tried to draw away her hand.

But the Fairy Prince took the hand in both his own and softly kissed it.

His face paled, and he calmed down as he said:

"Promise me you will not go away."

"I promise not to go away until I must," said Maid Sally.

Then Mammy fed her "babby," and gave him a soothing dose of steeped skullcap, which drowsy herb soon had him in a quiet sleep.

Sally went about in a Fairy-like dream.

The back of her right hand seemed to have been touched with a golden wand where the Fairy Prince had kissed it.

Yet she was puzzling over the question how best to answer when her Prince would seek to know more about her, as he surely would.

Tell her own story she never could, at least not the first part of it.

At length she murmured:

"Oh, my good Fairy, please tell me once more what had I better do?"

And the Fairy answered:

"Why not tell Mammy Leezer the truth about the pine woods, and let her repeat it? She loves the Fairy Prince with all her heart, and would dress up the story in rosiest colors.

"What if you were a poor little girl then, or thought to be? Mammy knew you had a fine father, and will say so. And what if the Fairy Prince finds out that twice you were in a tree when he needed help? Fairies are supposed to lurk in forests and midst trees and flowers.