XVII
FRUITION
Mrs. Follet and Nancy knew that something very exciting was going on between Mr. Follet and Steve and both were exceedingly anxious. When silence took the place of heated discussion they could bear it no longer and went to Mr. Follet’s door.
Mrs. Follet had never seen her husband so wrought up before, though he had always been of an exciteable temperament. She did not dare ask a question, but busied herself doing little things for his comfort while Nancy brought in his supper, which he had not wanted earlier and still querulously refused to touch.
A terrible silence settled upon them all. Nancy sat on the porch in distressed wonder over what had happened between her father and Steve, while Mrs. Follet, equally anxious, sat silently by the bed of the restless man. She proposed to get a neighbour to go for the doctor, but Mr. Follet wouldn’t hear of it. Hours passed by and then Mr. Follet suddenly started up in bed.
“My God,” he cried wildly, “they’ll kill him!”
“Who?” cried his wife, starting up also, while Nancy’s white face at once appeared in the door.
“Why, Steve,” screamed Mr. Follet. “He’s gone, and I don’t doubt he went straight to old man Greely’s for the night. If he did, he’s cut across the woods and run into some moonshiners. They’ll take him for a government man and shoot him soon’s they lay eyes on him!”
He paused for breath, and Mrs. Follet and Nancy were too appalled to speak.