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She ain't no doctor-woman." This from Dinney, who had the advantage of early acquaintance. "She's on'y a cuttin' roun' de street. Youse better not be smudgin' up her dress, Carrots gwan off, now! All o' youse gwan an' let de lady 'lone. Me 'n' Hunkie's de on'y ones as she wants roun'." Dinney and Hunkie escorted Gloria to the end of the street and back.
Then by an inspiration she knew that the boy meant cream milk with the cream on. A sob rose unannounced in Gloria's throat as she looked again at the mite in the cart who would walk when his legs were stronger. "Who is the doctor-woman?" she asked; but as she asked the question she knew the answer and said, "Is she the District Nurse?" "Yes, she is. She's good to my mother, and Hunkie's the baby.
"Well, I guess!" said the boy. "Can he walk?" more gently still. "Yep, o' course I mean when his legs gets stronger he'll walk, won't youse, Hunkie? De doctor-woman says as wot he needs is plenty o' milk. Wid its coat on Hunkie ain't never had none wid its coat on till de doctor-woman come." "Its coat on?" murmured Gloria.
My sister would not be driven from the kitchen, though the woman was vehement in anger, but held to it that she must know the character of the dose my mother was to take. So they worked together the doctor-woman scowling darkly until the medicine was ready: which was in the late evening of that day. Then they went to my mother's room to administer the first of it.
"'Twas writ by that doctor-woman an' sent t' you, Skipper Tommy t' tell me t' break it easy that she'd run off from Wayfarer's Tickle because o' the sin she'd found there. I misdoubt oh, I misdoubt that she've been afeared I'd that I'd mistook her, poor wee thing an' turn her off. I call the Lard God A'mighty t' witness," he cried, passionately, "that I'd take her home, whatever come t' pass!
"But, David the doctor-woman?" "They does work cures," my father pursued. "I'm not knowin' how they does; but they does, an' that's all I'm sayin'. Tim Budderly o' the Arm told me an' 'twas but an hour ago that she charmed un free o' fits." "I have heard," my mother mused, "that they work cures. And if " "They's no knowin' what she can do," my father broke in, my mother now listening eagerly.
"You may beat me, Skipper Tommy," said I, "when you gets me home, an' I wish you joy of it. But home you goes!" "But, Davy, lad," he protested, "there's that poor Tom Tot goin' on alone " "Home you goes!" "An' there's that kind-hearted doctor-woman. Sure, now, Davy," he began, sweetly, "I'd like t' tell she " "That's just," said I, "what I'm afeared of."
She had a sudden inward vision of herself living in Treeless Street. A little crowd of interested children had gathered. One, bolder than the rest, had drawn unpleasantly close, and was smoothing Gloria's soft white dress with timid little fingers. Gloria wondered why she did not draw away, but stood still instead. "Are youse a doctor-woman? W'ere's yer bag? Yer ain't t'rew yer bag away?" "Huh!
"'Tis the eyes o' four lump-fish," said my sister. My mother dropped the glass, so that the contents were spilled over the coverlet, and fell back on the pillows, where she lay white and still. "Out with you!" said my sister to the doctor-woman. "I'll have no more o' your cures!" "Oh, my!" shrilled the woman, dropping into her most biting manner. "She won't have no more o' my cures!
"But I wonder what it is." Again she raised the glass with a wry face. But my sister stayed her hand. "I'll not have you take it," said she, firmly, "without knowin' what it is." The doctor-woman struck her arm away. "Leave the woman drink it!" she screamed, now in a gust of passion. "What's this you're giving me?" my mother stammered, looking upon the glass in alarm and new disgust.
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