“Oh, Ilga!” broke in Polly. And she told of how the exchange had been made.
Dr. Dudley hastened away, to learn the truth of the matter, while Polly and her mother tried to settle into something like calmness.
By chance callers and over the wire came snatches of facts concerning the accident. Nobody seemed to know what had startled the ponies, but Leonora had pluckily held to the reins until a hill was reached, thereby averting injury to herself. Ilga, becoming frightened, had jumped from the carriage, with serious results. It had occurred while Philip had gone into a shop for some purchase, leaving his own horse and the little team at the curb. When he came out the ponies were dashing across the railway tracks ahead of a coming train, and he was obliged to wait behind the gates until the small carriage was out of sight.
It was not until the Doctor returned that the nature of Ilga’s injuries were known.
“Dr. Palmer and Dr. Houston are attending her,” the physician said. “I have heard nothing direct from them, but it is rumored that the girl’s back is broken.”
“Poor Ilga!” burst out Polly, and hid her face in her hands amid a torrent of tears. “It is all my fault!” she moaned. “It is all my fault! If I hadn’t asked her, she wouldn’t have got hurt!”
Father and mother tried to soothe her; but her sensitive heart shouldered the entire blame of Ilga’s accident, and it required much reasoning before she was able to look at the matter in a true light.
Further reports confirmed the first rumors about the unfortunate girl. It was extremely doubtful, the physicians thought, if she ever walked again. Dr. Dudley and his wife kept the sad tidings as much as possible from Polly; but she was obliged to hear talk of it at school, and often she would come home at noon only to spoil her dinner with tears.