“O!” exclaimed Harry, wondering why, but not venturing to ask the question.
Mrs. Dobson, mistaking Harry’s exclamation for one of pain or weariness, adroitly asked Kate and Frank if they would go out into the field beyond the garden and help their mother to find some skullcap for Harry.
Away they ran, eager and anxious to do something, anything to help.
“Mamma! we’ve seen him. Doctor Hill said we might,” cried Kate, springing over the low stone wall that separated Mrs. Dobson’s bit of vegetable garden from the meadow in which Mrs. Hallock was searching for skullcap.
“Poor boy! I am very sorry for him,” said Mrs. Hallock. “No mother, and no home, and it might have been our Frank, Kate.”
“But, mother, it isn’t, you know; and now he’s going to have a mother and a home, and a brother and a sister, too. O, I’m so glad the circus came, and Frank ran away, and everything happened. I’m glad Harry got hurt, too,” she said, almost under her breath, “if he’ll only make haste and get well now. There! is this skullcap?” holding up a cluster of something green, that she had gathered close to the wall.
“No, child! that is young golden-rod, just out of the ground. Frank! Frank! come here, and jump over the wall and get this for me,” called Mrs. Hallock, but Frank was in great excitement over a young snake that he had found warming its wriggling, uncanny self on the stone wall.
“He’s whipping something!” returned Kate.
“O, Frank, don’t, don’t do it!” and Kate ran as fast as she could through the tall June grass toward the spot where Frank was vigorously switching.
“Go back! Go back, Kate!” shouted Frank. “It’s a snake!”