After school on Monday, I picked a bouquet of flowers--mountain laurel, columbines, purple aster, and daises. Then walked to Doctor MacNeil's cabin. I observed that Charlie was gone, so I assumed that Dr. MacNeil was still out on medical calls with Dan Scott. I walked up the steps and knocked on the door.
Margaret answered, she had her hair tied up in a scarf and she had a scrub brush in her hand.
"I brought you some flowers, and I thought that you might want to go for a walk with me. It's not raining anymore."
She looked at me with astonishment. "Neil isn't home." She said defensively.
"I know, I came to see you." Her eyes searched mine. I could see from her expression that she did not trust me. "We don't have to go for a walk, I just thought that you might want to get out of the cabin for a bit. I can help you clean if you would rather." I did not waver; but stood firmly in the door with as much friendly confidence as I could muster. I tried to think of a way to win her trust, but nothing came to mind.
"Well," she said, obviously confused; she looked as if she did not know how to react. "Just let me finish scrubbing the floor."
"Here I can help you with that." I followed her inside, and together we scrubbed the floor of Doctor MacNeil's cabin.
We spent the afternoon walking down Big Spoon Creek. The temperature was perfect.
"I've forgotten how beautiful the mountains can be." She said. I told her about the children, about Mountie O'Teal and how she did not talk when I first came to Cutter Gap.
"It is nice that you have a mission in life. My life will amount to nothing when I am gone," she said.
"I don't think so, you have a lot to offer. What do you enjoy doing more than anything else?"
She looked thoughtfully for a moment and then said, "I don't know. I like poetry, I suppose, and I like to sing."
"Maybe you could come teach the children some music lessons or talk to them about poetry. They would love to meet you. I know that they would like you." She turned to me. "Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked flatly. I looked at her. I did not quite know what to say. Finally I said, "I was afraid that you were lonely."
She nodded but still appeared skeptical. She turned and continued walking ahead of me.
We got back to the cabin before dark, and I left for the mission before Dr. MacNeil and Dan Scott returned.
Tuesday and Wednesday were so stormy that I could not go visit Margaret. The lightning filled the sky and the thunder followed so close behind it that we knew it was striking near the cove; we cancelled school both days and David walked around in the rain informing the parents. I worried about him all day Miss Alice and I sat in the parlor and watched the rainfall; she read from the Bible. I was relieved when David finally came home. He was drenched from head to toe.
On Thursday morning, I awoke remembering that I had asked Neil to come teach. It was not raining outside, so I dressed and left early for the schoolhouse. When I walked up schoolhouse steps, I was surprised to find Neil waiting for me. "Ah, Miss Huddleson." He said. "I was just admiring the children's art work."
"Oh, it is good isn't it. I am especially proud of Clara Spencer's robin. She drew it last week. It's right over here." I pointed it out to him. "I think that she could be a great artist someday. She sees things three- dimensionally already."
When I looked up from Clara's drawing, I found that Neil was looking at me in a way that made me blush. His eyes were so intense, and he seemed as if he were committing every detail of my face to memory. He started to say something, but changed his mind.
"What is it Dr. MacNeil?" I asked.
He walked over and took my hand. He looked me directly in the eye. He still could not vocalize the words. He only opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again with a frustrated look.
Please say it, I thought to myself.
He touched his hand to my face tenderly; as he tried again to speak, a shout came from out side.
"Miss Huddleston! Miss Huddleston!" The voice sounded disturbed. I ran outside. It was Ben Pentland. He stood out of breath waving a yellow paper in his hand. Dr. MacNeil joined me outside.
"What the devil, Ben. Are you all right." Neil asked.
Ben stood bent over trying to catch his breath. "Yes'm," he said. "I ran all the way from El Pano. I have a telegram for Miss Huddleston."
A shudder trickled down my back. I had never received a telegram before. Ben walked up the steps and handed the folded yellow paper to me. I opened it.
Dearest Christy: I do not want to be the one to tell you this. Your parents had left on Tuesday to pay you a surprise visit. A trellis collapsed under the weight of their train and it crashed. Your mother was killed instantly. Your Father and George remain in critical condition at the Asheville Hospital. Please hurry. They are not expected to live.
Your,
Uncle John
I could not breathe. I must have misread the telegram. I read it again. It said the same thing. A cold sweat poured down my face. I felt light-headed. It just couldn't be. Mom, Dad, George. My legs had already given away. I could not feel them. How was I still standing? Then I realized that Doctor MacNeil had a firm grip on me, and he was holding me up.
"What is it Lassie?" He asked imploringly. But I could not bring myself to speak the words; I feared that it would make it true. I handed him the telegram. I watched him read it, hoping that he would find something different in it than I had. But when his face dropped in extreme sadness, I knew that it was true.
He took me in his arms, and I cried without regard to who watched or listened. I felt so weak, so powerless. How could I still be breathing when my family lay in pain or maybe even dead. "Oh mother, mother!" I cried.
"Shh shh sh, Las, I'm here. I'm here." Neil's words seemed as if they came from far way. Suddenly, everything went black.