They sat around the bed talking, Elizabeth telling briefly of her own
experiences and her wedding trip which they were taking back over the old
trail, and the old man and woman speaking of their trouble, the woman's
breakdown and how the doctor at Malta said there was a chance she could
get well if she went to a great doctor in Chicago, but how they had no
money unless they sold the ranch and that nobody wanted to buy it.
"Oh, but we have money," laughed Elizabeth joyously, "and it is our turn
now to help you. You helped us when we were in trouble. How soon can you
start? I'm going to play you are my own father and mother. We can send
them both, can't we George?"
It was a long time before they settled themselves to sleep that night
because there was so much planning to be done, and then Elizabeth and her
husband had to get out their stores and cook a good supper for the two old
people who had been living mostly on corn meal mush, for several weeks.
And after the others were all asleep the old woman lay praying and
thanking God for the two angels who had dropped down to help them in their
distress.
The next morning George Benedict with one of the men who looked after
their camping outfit went to Malta and got in touch with the Chicago
doctor and hospital, and before he came back to the ranch that night
everything was arranged for the immediate start of the two old people He
had even planned for an automobile and the Malta doctor to be in
attendance in a couple of days to get the invalid to the station.
Meantime Elizabeth had been going over the old woman's wardrobe which was
scanty and coarse, and selecting garments from her own baggage that would
do for the journey.
The old woman looked glorified as she touched the delicate white garments
with their embroidery and ribbons: "Oh, dear child! Why, I couldn't wear a thing like that on my old worn-out
body. Those look like angels' clothes." She put a work-worn finger on the
delicate tracery of embroidery and smoothed a pink satin ribbon bow.
But Elizabeth overruled her. It was nothing but a plain little garment
she had bought for the trip. If the friend thought it was pretty she was
glad, but nothing was too pretty for the woman who had taken her in in her
distress and tried to help her and keep her safe.
The invalid was thin with her illness, and it was found that she could
easily wear the girl's simple dress of dark blue with a white collar, and
little dark hat, and Elizabeth donned a khaki skirt and brown cap and
sweater herself and gladly arrayed her old friend in her own bridal
travelling gown for her journey. She had not brought a lot of things for
her journey because she did not want to be bothered, but she could easily
get more when she got to a large city, and what was money for but to cloth
the naked and feed the hungry? She rejoiced in her ability to help this
woman of the wilderness.