"No need," answered the doctor, curtly, "I am the one to blame for trusting any man to take care of these good servants who cannot speak for themselves."
It was almost noon before we started and then the bays walked every step of the way.
Just before leaving, the span of horses that came in after us the night before were brought out, one of them limping painfully.
The owner unconcernedly seated himself in his buggy and took up the lines.
The doctor spoke of the animal's lameness.
"Oh, that is nothing, Jerry is always lame when he first starts, and nearly all the rest of the time, for that matter," he added, as if it were a good joke.
"Why don't you have the trouble investigated?"
"Oh, I don't know; never thought much about it; he's an old horse," and with this he drove off.
Dr. Fred's first wife and her two boys were waiting to—but you can't understand what for yet. There were not so many railroads and lines of telegraph then, and no intimation of the news we brought had reached her. She cried and petted Dr. Dick as if he had been her own child. She put her arms about my neck and kissed me, too, making me think of other arms and other kisses. Ah me!