were rushing up and down stairs, and excited voices were
calling her name all over the house, but she did not pause or turn from
her task. It was Miss Penelope who first found her and clamored to know
what had happened; but she did not stop to answer, and went on turning
back the covers of the bed--the last thing needing to be done--and
listening for the sounds of the horses' hoofs. They could now be heard
approaching with that sad, slow, solemn rhythm--that subdued beat, beat,
beat, of horses' feet--which has fallen on all our bruised hearts as an
awful part of the funeral march. She ran out of the room and downstairs,
drawing her skirt away from Miss Penelope's frightened grasp, and
passing William Pressley, as if his restraining words had been no more
than the gusty wind. She was waiting outside when the three horsemen
drew up at the door. The burden which they bore was still apparently
lifeless, and with a sickening pang of fear she bent over the parted
lips as they lowered him from the saddle, thinking for one despairing
moment that he no longer breathed. But the faint flutter went on, and
she gave way so that he might be borne up the stairs, and running
before, she told them where to lay him down.

William Pressley made one or two efforts to direct what was being done,
and although the girl's passionate excitement swept him aside, he still
did what he could, and offered to furnish a fresh horse for the quicker
fetching of the doctor, when the attorney-general said he would go for
him at once. It was like William Pressley to do this; it would have been
unlike him to neglect any duty that he saw. But the offering of the
horse and the full performance of his own duty did not keep him from
looking at Ruth in severe displeasure. He did not yet know how this
thing had happened, and was far from suspecting that she had been out of
the house that night. Yet it disturbed and angered him to see her flying
here and there, and running to and fro to get things that were wanted,
as though the servants could not be quick enough. With all this in his
tone, he coldly and strongly urged her to join the rest of the family,
pointing out the fact that there was nothing more to be done by any one
till the doctor should come. But she merely shook her head, without
speaking, and slid softly into a seat by the bedside, and there William
Pressley left her, disdaining to contend. She thought that she was
alone--so far as she thought of herse