"And excuse me, also," he replied, "I will do myself the pleasure of calling on Miss Porter to-morrow," he said.
"What in the name of wonder has happened?" I said to Lizzy, who had flown to my side as the Doctor left.
"Oh, it is quite a story, I assure you; but I ought not to tell you, for I shall spoil it for the Doctor to-morrow. He tells it so well; you'll find that your stammering St. Paul can speak with the tongue of an angel sometimes."
But my curiosity would not allow me to wait: and in truth, neither would Lizzy's enthusiasm permit her to do the same; so she gave the outlines, promising that the Doctor should fill them up in the morning.
"Would you believe it," she commenced, "the Doctor has been robbed and shot at, and"--
"Shot at, and then robbed, Sis," said the old gentleman.
"There, I knew I should spoil the story."
"Never mind, do go on," I said, "where, pray?"
"Why, on the turnpike road to McConnelsville; don't you remember a piece of woods there?"
"Why, yes; but honest black Gassoway's house is near about half way as you pass the woods. I came from there on horseback, at eight o'clock in the evening, only two weeks ago."
"You must never go there again, my child," said Mrs. Warner, in a sort of sepulchral tone; "it may be the death of you."
"Just as the Doctor came to where the woods commenced, two horrible-looking ruffians with masks came out of the woods, and while one seized the horse's bridle, the other pointed a pistol to his heart, and demanded his money. He had two hundred dollars by him, which he was then taking to a man he owed. It was all the spare money he had; you know the Doctor is just commencing his profession, and he does not wish to urge his debtors too hard at present. But he was too brave to yield at once; he knocked the pistol aside, but it went off, grazing his arm; but after a hard fight with his opponents, he found they were too much for him, and after resigning all his money he came back home. Isn't it too bad, so industrious and prudent as he seems to be?"
"It is a hard case surely; but for the life of me I cannot imagine how robbers dared come so near the town; the pistol-shot must have been heard at Gassoway's."
"No, it was midnight, and they were sound asleep, probably. I wish they had heard and gone in pursuit."