“Ten minutes—five—half an hour—I don't know. Before the storm commenced.”
“Oh!” The old gentleman appeared to be reassured. “Probably he had work to do and wanted to get in before the rain.”
But Lige Willetts was turning pale. He swallowed several times with difficulty. “Which way did he go? He didn't come around the house; we were out there till the storm broke.”
“He went by the orchard gate. When he got to the road he turned that way.” She pointed to the west.
“He must have been crazy!” exclaimed the judge. “What possessed the fellow?”
“I couldn't stop him. I didn't know how.” She looked at her three companions, slowly and with growing terror, from one face to another. Minnie's eyes were wide and she had unconsciously grasped Lige's arm; the young man was looking straight before him; the judge got up and walked nervously back and forth. Helen rose to her feet swiftly and went toward the old man, her hands pressed to her bosom.
“Ah!” she cried out, sharply, “I had forgotten that! You don't think they—you don't think——”
“I know what I think,” Lige broke in; “I think I'd ought to be hanged for letting him out of my sight. Maybe it's all right; maybe he turned and started right back for town—and got there. But I had no business to leave him, and if I can I'll catch up with him yet.” He went to the front door, and, opening it, let in a tornado of wind and flood of water that beat him back; sheets of rain blew in horizontally, in spite of the porch beyond.
Briscoe followed him. “Don't be a fool, Lige,” he said. “You hardly expect to go out in that.” Lige shook his head; it needed them both to get the door closed. The young man leaned against it and passed his sleeve across his wet brow. “I hadn't ought to have left him.”
“Don't scare the girls,” whispered the other; then in a louder tone: “All I'm afraid of is that he'll get blown to pieces or catch his death of cold. That's all there is to worry about. Those scalawags wouldn't try it again so soon after last night. I'm not bothering about that; not at all. That needn't worry anybody.”