But yet he thought Gran’ther Groves ought to have leave to express himself, so turning to him he said:
“Do you ’low your women folkses to speak for you, gran’ther, ’ithout a word for yourself?”
Gran’ther Groves mumbled something in a voice of agony, but his words were indistinguishable because his tongue had suddenly begun to swell in his mouth and his eyes were rolling wildly about in their sockets, presenting a ghastly sight.
Patty stamped her foot at Mr. Brown in a towering rage, hissing:
“You silly old fool, let him alone! Don’t you see you’re tormenting him into another of his awful fits, and may be the cause of his death with your meddling?”
“Lordy, I never meant to rile you wimmen folkses up! ’Cause I understand that poor little Eva’s disgrace goes agin’ her with you all! But I thought as it might be diff’runt with that ole sinner that turned her out o’ doors to freeze and starve to death! I had a mind he might be repenting by now, but if he lets you wimmen folkses speak for him, I’ve done with meddling, as you call it. So good-by, and may God reward you all according to your evil works!” testily answered Brown, striding toward the door.
But before he reached it he turned his head unwillingly at sound of a blood-curdling groan from gran’ther, and saw him falling from his chair in a fit, as Patty had foreboded.
It was only Christian charity to run back to help them, but Miss Ruttencutter said severely:
“It will jest make him ten times wuss to come to hisself an’ find you here! He would ricolleck it all ag’in in a minute! You kin help us more by going for Doc Binks than by staying.”
At this curt dismissal Farmer Brown bounced violently out of the kitchen and into the saddle, digging the astonished mare sharply with his spurs as a vent for his angry feelings, sputtering as he galloped to the physician’s office: