Nance turned with a look of glad surprise.
"Well, fur the land sake, ef hit ain't Doctor Mulford! Come right in!" she cried.
The Doctor seized her hand.
"And how is my good friend, Mrs.Owens, this morning?" he asked cheerfully.
Mary was studying him with deep interest.She had asked herself the question a hundred times how much she could tell him--what to say and what to leave unsaid.One glance at his calm, intellectual face was enough.He was a man of striking appearance, six feet tall, forty-five years of age, hair prematurely gray and a slight stoop to his broad shoulders.His brown eyes seemed to enfold the old woman in their sympathy.
Nance was chattering her answer to his greeting.
"Oh, I'm feelin' fine, Doctor--" she dropped her voice confidentially-- "and you're just in time for a good dinner.My boy that was lost has come home.He's a great big fellow, wears fine clothes and come up the mountain all the way in a devil wagon." She put her hand to her mouth."Sh! He's asleep! We won't wake him till dinner! He's all tired out."The Doctor nodded understandingly and turned toward Mary."And this young lady?""Oh, that's his wife from New York--ain't she purty?"The Doctor saw the delicate hands trembling and extended his.
No word was spoken.None was needed.There was healing in his touch, healing in his whole being.No man or woman could resist the appeal of his personality.Their secrets were yielded with perfect faith.
"Come with me quickly," Mary whispered."I understand," he answered carelessly.
Turning again to Nance, he said with easy confidence:
"I'll not disturb you with your cooking, Mrs.Owens.Go right on with it.I'll have a little chat with your son's wife.If she's from New York I want to ask her about some of my people up there----""All right," Nance answered, "but don't you wake HIM! Go with her inter the shed-room.""We'll go on tip-toe!" the Doctor whispered.
Nance nodded, smiled and bent again over the oven.
Mary led him quickly through the living-room, head averted from the couch, and into the prison cell in which she had passed the night.The physician glanced with a startled look at the gold still scattered on the floor.
She seized his hand and swayed.
He touched the brown hair of her bared head gently and pressed her hand.
"Steady, now, child, tell me quickly."
"Yes, yes," she gasped, "I'll tell you the truth----" He held her gaze.
"And the whole truth--it's best."
Mary nodded, tried to speak and failed.She drew her breath and steadied herself, still gripping his hand.
"I will," she began faintly."He's dead----" She paused and nodded toward the living-room."The man--her son?""Yes.We came last night from Asheville.We were on our honeymoon.We haven't been married but three weeks.I never knewthe truth about his life and character until last night when he told me that this old woman was his mother.I found a case of jewels in the bag he carried--jewels that belonged to a man in New York who was robbed and shot.I recognized the case.He confessed to me at last in cold, brutal words that he was a thief.I couldn't believe it at first.I tried to make him give up his criminal career.He laughed at me.He gloried in it.I tried to leave him.He choked me into insensibility and drove me into this cell, where I spent the night.He brought the gold that you saw on the floor which he had honestly made to give to his old mother--but for a devilish purpose.He showed it to her last night to rouse her avarice and make her first agree to hide his stolen goods.He succeeded too well.Before he had revealed himself she slipped into the room at daylight while he slept in a drunken stupor, murdered him and took the money.The struggle waked me and I rushed in.She gripped her knife to kill me.I told her that she had murdered her own son and she went mad----"She paused for breath and her lips trembled piteously."You know what to do, Doctor?""Yes!"
"And you'll help me?"
He smiled tenderly and nodded his head."God knows you need it, child!"The nerves snapped at last, and she sank a limp heap at his feet.
