CHAPTER VII
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ORCHARD
Within the schoolroom more than one girl was wondering what hadhappened to Sarah Ford. Dorothy was worried. Hers was a nature thattook all things seriously, while Tavia insisted on looking on "the easyside" as she termed Hope. She was hoping with all her heart now, thatSarah Ford would soon enter the room, but the morning wore on and noSarah appeared.
At last recess came. Such whispering among the girls--so many theoriesadvanced to account for Sarah's disappearance.
"Playin' hookey," was all Tavia said, in the way she had of makinglight of things.
"Perhaps she was hurt," whispered Dorothy to Alice MacAllister, a girlwho had always been a close friend.
"I don't think so," said Alice, "Even had she fallen there was nothingshe could strike on, and I have often jumped when I could not go onebit higher."
"She may have fallen on the rubbish heap," suggested one of the oldergirls.
At last school was dismissed.
"I'll wager we find her down the lane taking Widow Drew's appleblossoms," remarked Tavia, as she and Dorothy started for home. "Shemay be going to another party and want a change of decorations,--shewore honey-suckle last time."
"Hush!" Dorothy interrupted, "I thought I heard--"
"Some one moan? So did I," declared Tavia.
They listened a moment.
"There it is again," said Dorothy. "Oh, I'm sure that's Sarah!"
"It was down in the orchard," went on Tavia.
"Help! oh, help me!" came a voice, and this time there was no mistakingthe cry; a girl was calling.
Springing over the fence, with Dorothy following her, Tavia ran throughthe deep grass to the spot from which the sounds came.
Under the apple tree, suffering and helpless, they found Sarah Ford.
"Oh, what has happened!" wailed Dorothy, bending over her.
"You have killed me!" gasped Sarah.
"Is it your ankle?" Tavia asked, trying to find out what could be doneto get Sarah home.
"Yes, and you did it!" declared the suffering girl. "You gave me thatlast push. Oh,--oh. Get a doctor--or I will surely die!" and she buriedher head deeper in the grass, writhing in agony.
"Can't you move, Sarah dear?" Dorothy pleaded, "If you only could,perhaps we could make a hand chair and carry you."
"Oh, it would kill me. My leg is surely broken. I can feel the bone.Oh, dear! Oh dear me! What shall I do? What shall I do?" and theunfortunate girl burst into hysterical weeping--
"I'll run and get a wagon--or a carriage--or something," Tavia saidnervously, for she was very much frightened at Sarah's condition.
"They never could drive in this rough place," Dorothy sighed. "Listen!There is Joe. Call him. He will help us."
In a moment Joe Dale was beside his sister.
"Why, a man must carry her, of course," he declared promptly, "I justmet Ralph Willoby--"
A shrill whistle from Joe, followed by his calling loudly the youngman's name, soon brought Ralph to the scene.
"Oh, I am so glad it is you!" said Dorothy. "You will know just what todo, and we--don't want--a crowd."
By this time Sarah showed signs of fainting; her breath came in gaspsand her face was very white.
"Run over to the spring Joe, and fetch a cup of water," Ralphcommanded. "Now, Miss Ford, you must put your head down flat on thegrass--this way. There, that's it. Now try to straighten out so thatyou can breathe better."
But every move that the suffering girl tried to make caused her suchpain that Dorothy fell upon her knees and tried to fan a breath intoher white face, to prevent her, if possible, from becoming unconscious.
"Here's Joe, with the water," exclaimed Tavia, running to meet the boy,and hurrying back with the cool liquid.
Ralph pressed the drink to Sarah's lips, while Dorothy waited to bathethe pale face with what water might remain in the cup.
"Oh!" sighed Sarah. "I feel--better. I thought I was going to die."
"You were faint," Ralph exclaimed. "Do you think you can sit up now?"
Not waiting for a reply, the young man slipped his hand under thegirl's shoulders, and the next minute he had her in his arms.
It was a sad little procession that followed him. Dorothy almost intears; Tavia with eyes already overflowing, while Joe kept very closeto Ralph, ready to offer any assistance in carrying Sarah to her home.
But Ralph was well able to manage his burden, for the girl was notheavy, and she helped herself some by keeping her arms clasped abouthis neck. Fortunately the Ford home was not far away.
"There's Mr. Ford," whispered Joe to Tavia, as they reached the gate,and at that moment the man on the porch raised his head from his paper,and saw them coming.
Mr. Ford seemed dazed--he did not stir for a moment but sat therestaring wildly at the group now coming up the path.
"Sarah has hurt her ankle," Joe hurried to say, and as his voice rousedthe man from his frightened attitude, he sprang up and reached to takehis daughter from the young man's arms.
"I had better put her on a couch," objected Ralph, "Her ankle seemsquite painful."
"What has happened?" asked the father opening the door of the sittingroom and making ready the couch under the window.
"The girls did it," gasped Sarah, "that girl there, Tavia Travers!"
"You!" exclaimed the man, making a threatening move towards the accusedgirl.
"It was an accident," interposed Dorothy, "we do not know how ithappened; we found her under a tree in the orchard."
"They do know," persisted the injured girl "They sent me up sohigh!--oh, get a doctor, quick!"
Ralph had now placed Sarah on the couch, and "while Mr. Ford hurried tocall his wife, Ralph and Joe hastened off for Dr. Gray, leaving thethree girls together.
"Tell us about it," Dorothy pleaded, not wanting to leave Sarah untilshe had obtained some idea of how the accident had occurred.
"I'll tell Squire Sanders," answered the girl on the couch, "and thenyou will be arrested, every one of you who--who tried to kill me!"
"Come!" whispered Tavia to Dorothy as Mrs. Ford appeared. "It onlymakes matters worse for us to be here."
Then as the mother fell weeping by the couch Tavia and Dorothy left theroom.