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?"

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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.




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