Hillsboro People

a trader on his way from "over the mountain" up to Canada, looking for furs. That morning

nial museums, but a common iron pan, fastened to a hickory sapling; and she went as fast as she could, without ru

the trader, who was staying overnight in that house, went on with a long story about an Indian herb-doctor, of whose cures he had heard marvelous tales, three days

t the road to the settlement where the Indian lived. It was in a place called Heath Falls, on the Connecticu

boro, where people took you in gladly for the sake of the news you brought from the outside world. No, the folks in Heath Falls were very grand. They traveled themselves, and saw more strangers than a lit

Hannah knew only two things in the world-that there was a doctor who could cure her sister, and that she must get her to him. She was only a child herself;

ty and forbid his girl such a rash, unmaidenly, bold undertaking, the end of it was that Hannah got her father's permission. He loved his d

turdy boy of fourteen, and two horses, for the trip to Heath Falls. The neighbor-woman hesitated; but when Hannah threw in the two pewter candlesticks, which came from her mother's family, she could resist no longer. In her

her a proud interest in her grit. As everybody liked her, they gave what they could toward helping he

er brought out all the money he had-one large four-shilling piece-and Hannah was sure that so much wealth as that would buy anything in the world. The old women had prophesied that Ann Mary would not be strong enough to sit upon a horse, even clinging to Remember Williams's thick waist; but, judging from what grandmother says, I surmise that Ann Mary, without being really aware of it, was

ourney out. If only Hannah were not so headstrong and obstinate! But

ble when the little company rode off. After all, she had been "declining

ndent nature. Hannah had always done everything for her, and had kept her safe from harm. Hannah was with her now,

with herself as sole leader and guide, responsibility fell like a black cloud upon her young heart. Ther

d the matter and manner of the doctoring old women. However, Ann Mary surprised herself, as well as Hannah, by being none of the uncomfortable things that her sister kept suggesting to her

to the east. Here, their story being told, they were hospitably received, and Ann Mary was clapped into the airless inner room and fed with gruel and d

quite strange to them, and somehow, before they knew it, they were not on the road recommended to them by their hosts of the night

spoke cheerfully to Ann Mary and the boy, who looked to her for courage,

, and partly glowing with anticipatory glory of telling the Hillsboro boys all about the adventure. Hannah soothed th

n so sleepy from her long day out of doors that she could not keep her eyes op

d cooked a supper of hot cornmeal mush in her big iron "kittle." Ann Mary ate a great deal of this, sweetened as it wa

the catamounts scream, as he had heard they did in those woods. Hannah was left quite alone to keep watc

nd watched Ann Mary to see that she did not grow chilly. Hannah does not seem to have been much inclined to talk about her own feelings, and there i

made a very early start, and there is nothing more to tell about their journey except that at about seven o'clock that evening the two tire

ocked at the door, he opened it himself. He was a small, very old, dark-brown, and prodigiously wrinkled individual, who held up a

breath

ndian herb-doc

he an

t she had come to the end of a nightmare of responsibility, it will not s

d, "my sister, to be cured. She is

hen he put up his brown old hands to her, she slid down into them and upon the ground. He still held one wrist, and this he continued to do for some moments, looking

" he

her sister around the

ked the doctor: "And how long will it take? We can stay but

or considered

h. By the end of September mont

oment for Hannah. She said nothing at

t stay-we cannot! And now, af

her sweet Ann Mary in tears

er. Somehow-I can earn-oh, we must!" Then a new fear sprang into her heart. "Oh, sir,

did not look toward her or c

er's to-night," he called from his doorstep. "It is the house of brick.

the old minister and his wife she told their story very briefly, with a desperate kind of self-possession, so concerned about poor Ann Mary, tired and hungry, waiting out in the night air, that she did not remember to be

after the old people had gone out

, of your sister, my litt

nah, "you shoul

black hair, shaken loose from its fastenings, curling up beautifully with the dew, and making a frame for the pearl-like oval of he

n sheets. She tried to call her sister's attention to this astonishing magnificence, but fell asleep in the middle of the sentence, and did not wake until late the ne

e like heaven to live alway

st go at once to the herb-doctor's-they should have been there before-and they must hurry through their breakfast. It is, perhaps, wort

until she was quite abashed, although the younger girl, at whom he glanced smilingly from time to time, thought he looked very good-natured. After this, Hannah s

tt," she said, "here i