With short intervals for food and dips in the lake the Harvester very nearly slept the week. When he finally felt himself again, he bathed, shaved, dressed freshly, and went to see the Girl. He had to touch her to be sure she was real. She was extremely weak and tremulous, but her face and hands were fuller, her colour was good, she was ravenously hungry. Doctor Harmon said she was a little tryant, and the nurse that she was plain cross. The first thing the Harvester noticed was that the dull blue look in the depth of the dark eyes was gone. They were clear, dusky wells, with shining lights at the bottom.
"Well I never would have believed it!" he cried.
"Doctor Harmon, you are a great physician! You have made her all over new, and in a few more days she will be on the veranda. This is great!"
"Do I appear so much better to you, Harvester?" asked the Girl.
"Has no one thought to show you," cried the Harvester. "Here, let me!'
He stepped to her dressing table, picked up a mirror, and held it before her so that she could see herself.
"Seems to me I am dreadfully white and thin yet!"
"If you had seen what I saw ten days ago, my Girl, you would think you appear like a pink, rosy angel now, or a wonderful dream."
"Truly, do I in the least resemble a dream, David?"
"You are a dream. The loveliest one a man ever had.
With three months of right care and exercise you'll be the beautiful woman nature intended. I'm so proud of you. You are being so brave! Just lie there in patience a few more days, and out you come again to life;and life that will thrill your being with joy."
"All right," said the Girl, "I will. David are you attending to your herbs?"
"Not for a few weeks."
"You are very much behind?"
"No. Nothing important. I don't make enough to count on what is ready now. I can soon gather jimson leaves and seed to fill orders, the hemlock is about right to take the fruit, the mustard is yet in pod, and the saffron and wormseed can be attended later.
I can catch up in two days."
"What about----about the big bed on the hill?"
The Harvester experienced an inward thrill of delight.
She was so impressed with the value of the ginseng she would not mention it, even before the man she loved----no more than that----"adored"----"worshipped!"
He smiled at her in understanding.
"I'll have to take a peep at that and report," he said.
"Are you rested now?"
"Indeed yes!"
"You are dreadfully thin."
"I always am. I'll pick up a little when I get back to work."
"David, I want you to go to work now."
"Can you spare me?"
"Haven't we done well these last few days?"
"I can't tell you how well."
"Then please go gather everything you need to fill orders except the big bed, and by that time maybe you could take another week off, and I could go to the hill top and on the lake. I'm so anxious to put my feet on the earth. They feel so dead."
"Are your feet well rubbed to draw down the circulation?"
"They are rubbed shiny and almost skinned, David.
No one ever had better care, of that I am sure. Go gather what you should have."
"All right," said the Harvester.
He arose and as he started to leave the room he took one last look at the Girl to see if he could detect anything he could suggest for her comfort, and read a message in her eyes. Instantly there was an answering flash in his.
"I'll be back in a minute," he said. "I just noticed discorea villosa has the finest rattle boxes formed. I've been waiting to show you. And the hop tree has its castanets all green and gold. In a few more weeks it will begin to play for you. I'll bring you some."
Soon he returned with the queer seed formations, and as he bent above her, with his back to Doctor Harmon, he whispered, "What is it?"
Her lips barely formed the one word, "Hurry!"
The Harvester straightened.
"All comfortable, Ruth?" he asked casually.
"Yes."
"You understand, of course, that there is not the slightest necessity for my going to work if you really want me for anything, even if it's nothing more than to have me within calling distance, in case you SHOULDwant something. The whole lot I can gather now won't amount to twenty dollars. It's merely a matter of pride with me to have what is called for. I'd much rather remain, if you can use me in any way at all."
"Twenty dollars is considerable, when expenses are as heavy as now. And it's worth more than any money to you not to fail when orders come. I have learned that, and David, I don't want you to either. You must fill all demands as usual. I wouldn't forgive myself this winter if you should be forced to send orders only partly filled because I fell ill and hindered you. Please go and gather all you possibly will need of everything you take at this season, only remember!"
"There is no danger of my forgetting. If you are going to send me away to work, you will allow me to kiss your hand before I go, fair lady?"
He did it fervently.
"One word with you, Harmon," he said as he left the room.
Doctor Harmon arose and followed him to the gold garden, and together they stood beside the molten hedge of sunflowers, coneflowers, elecampane, and jewel flower.
"I merely want to mention that this is your inning," said the Harvester. "Find out if you are essential to the Girl's happiness as soon as you can, and the day she tells me so, I will file her petition and take a trip to the city to study some little chemical quirks that bother me.
That's all."
The Harvester went to the dry-house for bags and clipping shears, and the doctor returned to the sunshine room.
"Ruth," he said, "do you know that the Harvester is the squarest man I ever met?"
"Is he?" asked the Girl.
"He is! He certainly is!"
"You must remember that I have little acquaintance with men," said she. "You are the first one I ever knew, and the only one except him."
"Well I try to be square," said Doctor Harmon, "but that is where Langston has me beaten a mile. Ihave to try. He doesn't. He was born that way."
The Girl began to laugh.
"His environment is so different," she said. "Perhaps if he were in a big city, he would have to try also."
"Won't do!" said the doctor. "He chose his location.
