“Mother Bhaer, I’ve come home.”
The look, the words, touched her very much, and she put her hand
under his head to lift him up, saying in her cordial way,
“I thought you would, and I’m so glad to see you, Dan.” He seemed
to wake thoroughly then, and started up looking about him as if he
suddenly remembered where he was, and doubted even that kind
welcome. His face changed, and he said in his old rough way,
“I was going off in the morning. I only stopped to peek in, as I
went by.”
“But why not come in, Dan? Didn’t you hear us call you? Teddy
saw, and cried for you.”
“Didn’t suppose you’d let me in,” he said, fumbling with a little
bundle which he had taken up as if going immediately.
“Try and see,” was all Mrs. Bhaer answered, holding out her hand
and pointing to the door, where the light shone hospitably.
With a long breath, as if a load was off his mind, Dan took up a
stout stick, and began to limp towards the house, but stopped
suddenly, to say inquiringly,
“Mr. Bhaer won’t like it. I ran away from Page.”
“He knows it, and was sorry, but it will make no difference. Are
you lame?” asked Mrs. Jo, as he limped on again.
“Getting over a wall a stone fell on my foot and smashed it. I don’t
mind,” and he did his best to hide the pain each step cost him.
Mrs. Bhaer helped him into her own room, and, once there, he
dropped into a chair, and laid his head back, white and faint with
weariness and suffering.
“My poor Dan! drink this, and then eat a little; you are at home
now, and Mother Bhaer will take good care of you.”
He only looked up at her with eyes full of gratitude, as he drank
the wine she held to his lips, and then began slowly to eat the food
she brought him. Each mouthful seemed to put heart into him, and
presently he began to talk as if anxious to have her know all about
him.
“Where have you been, Dan?” she asked, beginning to get out
some bandages.
“I ran off more’n a month ago. Page was good enough, but too
strict. I didn’t like it, so I cut away down the river with a man who
was going in his boat. That’s why they couldn’t tell where I’d gone.
When I left the man, I worked for a couple of weeks with a farmer,
but I thrashed his boy, and then the old man thrashed me, and I ran
off again and walked here.”
“All the way?”
“Yes, the man didn’t pay me, and I wouldn’t ask for it. Took it out
in beating the boy,” and Dan laughed, yet looked ashamed, as he
glanced at his ragged clothes and dirty hands.
“How did you live? It was a long, long tramp for a boy like you.”
“Oh, I got on well enough, till I hurt my foot. Folks gave me things
to eat, and I slept in barns and tramped by day. I got lost trying to
make a short cut, or I’d have been here sooner.”
“But if you did not mean to come in and stay with us, what were
you going to do?”
“I thought I’d like to see Teddy again, and you; and then I was
going back to my old work in the city, only I was so tired I went to
sleep on the hay. I’d have been gone in the morning, if you hadn’t
found me.”
“Are you sorry I did?” and Mrs. Jo looked at him with a half merry,
half reproachful look, as she knelt down to look at his wounded
foot.
The color came up into Dan’s face, and he kept his eyes fixed on
his plate, as he said very low, “No, ma’am, I’m glad, I wanted to
stay, but I was afraid you ”
He did not finish, for Mrs. Bhaer interrupted him by an
exclamation of pity, as she saw his foot, for it was seriously hurt.
“When did you do it?”