Chapter 26 - Page 2

"What man is that you're watching, you mysterious loon?" McQueen
demanded, curiously; but of course Tommy would not divulge so big a
secret. Now the one weakness of this large-hearted old bachelor (perhaps
it is a professional virtue) was a devouring inquisitiveness, and he
would be troubled until he discovered who was the stranger standing in
such obvious emotion by the side of an old grave. "Well, you must come
back with me to the surgery, for I want you to run an errand for me," he
said testily, hoping to pump the boy by the way, but Tommy dived beneath
his stick and escaped. This rasped the doctor's temper, which was
unfortunate for Grizel, whom he caught presently peeping in at his
surgery window. A dozen times of late she had wondered whether she
should ask him to visit her mamma, and though the Painted Lady had
screamed in terror at the proposal, being afraid of doctors, Grizel
would have ventured ere now, had it not been for her mistaken conviction
that he was a hard man, who would only flout her. It had once come to
her ears that he had said a woman like her mamma could demoralize a
whole town, with other harsh remarks, doubtless exaggerated in the
repetition, and so he was the last man she dared think of going to for
help, when he should have been the first. Nevertheless she had come now,
and a soft word from him, such as he gave most readily to all who were
in distress, would have drawn her pitiful tale from her, but he was in a
grumpy mood, and had heard none of the rumors about her mother's being
ill, which indeed were only common among the Monypenny children, and his
first words checked her confidences. "What are you hanging about my open
window for?" he cried sharply.

"Did you think I wanted to steal anything?" replied the indignant child.

"I won't say but what I had some such thait."

She turned to leave him, but he hooked her with his staff. "As you're
here," he said, "will you go an errand for me?"

"No," she told him promptly; "I don't like you."

"There's no love lost between us," he replied, "for I think you're the
dourest lassie I ever clapped eyes on, but there's no other litlin
handy, so you must do as you are bid, and take this bottle to
Ballingall's."

"Is it a medicine bottle?" she asked, with sudden interest.

"Yes, it's medicine. Do you know Ballingall's house in the West town
end?"

"Ballingall who has the little school?"

"The same, but I doubt he'll keep school no longer."

"Is he dying?"

"I'm afraid there's no doubt of it. Will you go?"

"I should love to