"What shall I do?" said Ellen. She could not bear to wait till they returned; if she rode back she might miss them again, besides the delay; and then a man on foot would make a long journey of it. Jenny told her of a house or two where she might try for a messenger; but they were strangers to her she could not make up her mind to ask such a favour of them. Her friends were too far out of the way.
"I'll go myself!" she said, suddenly. "Tell 'em, dear Jenny, will you, that I have gone for Dr. Gibson, and that I'll bring him back as quick as ever I can. I know the road to Thirlwall."
"But Ellen! you mustn't," said Jenny; "I am afraid to have you go all that way alone. Wait till the men come back they won't be long."
"No, I can't, Jenny," said Ellen, "I can't wait; I must go.
You needn't be afraid. Tell 'em I'll be as quick as I can."
"But see, Ellen!" cried Jenny as she was moving off, "I don't like to have you!"
"I must, Jenny. Never mind."
"But see, Ellen!" cried Jenny again, "if you will go if you don't find Dr. Gibson, just get Dr. Marshchalk he's every bit as good, and some folks think he's better; he'll do just as well. Good-bye!"
Ellen nodded and rode off. There was a little fluttering of the heart at taking so much upon herself; she had never been to Thirlwall but once since the first time she saw it. But she thought of Mr. Van Brunt, suffering for help which could not be obtained, and it was impossible for her to hesitate. "I am sure I am doing right," she thought; "and what is there to be afraid of? If I ride two miles alone, why shouldn't I four? And I am doing right God will take care of me." Ellen earnestly asked him to do so; and after that she felt pretty easy. "Now, dear Brownie," said she, patting his neck, "you and I have work to do to-day; behave like a good little horse as you are." The Brownie answered with a little cheerful kind of neigh, as much as to say, Never fear me! They trotted on nicely.
But nothing could help that's being a disagreeable ride. Do what she would, Ellen felt a little afraid when she found herself on a long piece of road where she had never been alone before. There were not many houses on the way; the few there were looked strange. Ellen did not know exactly where she was, or how near the end of her journey; it seemed a long one. She felt rather lonely; a little shy of meeting people, and yet a little unwilling to have the intervals between them so very long. She repeated to herself, "I am doing right God will take care of me." Still there was a nervous trembling at heart. Sometimes she would pat her pony's neck, and say, "Trot on, dear Brownie, we'll soon be there!" by way of cheering herself: for certainly the Brownie needed no cheering, and was trotting on bravely. Then the thought of Mr. Van Brunt, as she had seen him lying on the barn floor, made her feel sick and miserable; many tears fell during her ride, when she remembered him. "Heaven will be a good place," thought little Ellen, as she went; "there will be no sickness, no pain, no sorrow; but Mr. Van Brunt I wonder if he is fit to go to heaven?" This was a new matter of thought and uneasiness, not now for the first time, in Ellen's mind; and so the time passed, till she crossed the bridge over the little river, and saw the houses of Thirlwall stretching away in the distance. Then she felt comfortable.
Long before, she had bethought her that she did not know where to find Dr. Gibson, and had forgotten to ask Jenny. For one instant Ellen drew bridle, but it was too far to go back, and she recollected anybody could tell her where the doctor lived. When she got to Thirlwall, however, Ellen found that she did not like to ask anybody. She remembered her old friend Mrs. Forbes, of the Star inn, and resolved she would go there, in the first place. She rode slowly up the street, looking carefully till she came to the house. There was no mistaking it; there was the very same big star over the front door, that had caught her eye from the coach-window, and there was the very same boy or man, Sam, lounging on the sidewalk. Ellen reigned up, and asked him to ask Mrs. Forbes if she would be so good as to come out to her for one minute. Sam gave her a long Yankee look and disappeared, coming back again directly with the landlady.