Chapter Eight

Eva wasn't sure if it was the chilly wind whistling over the up the hill or her thoughts that distracted her from noticing that she wasn't alone as she started her descent from the big hill.

"Good day, Miss Beadle," a voice hollered as she reached the crest. She snapped out of her thoughts and froze in place. Benjamin was climbing up the path toward her. Her first instinct was to run. The hill was steep and over grown. She wouldn't get far away fast enough.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed.

"Where's your gun?" he teased. She didn't bring it and somehow he knew. They stared at each other for a brief second, and then Eva turned to run. Elizabeth had to be warned. They needed to get away. She called the girl's name as she ran. Elizabeth was already standing and alert.

"We have to run!" Eva gasped, but as she reached out to grab her hand, she stumbled. Within seconds, Benjamin was standing over her. She scrambled over the ground to get away. Elizabeth helped her stand.

"Go away," Eva shouted. The quake in her voice betrayed her terror. She could barely get the words out.

"You ladies weren't talking about me, were you?" he ignored her words and slowly walked toward them. He spoke with the same eerie calm and had the same look in his eyes as he did that day in the school house.

Eva was determined to fight back this time. She searched the ground for anything she could use. She scooped up rocks and hurled them but he only laughed each time she missed. She desperately lifted a fallen branch and lifted it as a warning.

"Don't come closer!" The branch was heavy and she trembled as she held it over her head.

"Oh… why are you being so unfriendly after all we've been to each other," he teased. He didn't stop moving toward her. She wielded the club, but couldn't muster enough force. Benjamin grabbed it as it came toward him. Eva cried out as she held on. Benjamin turned his body to wrench it away and came back with a swing. The branch caught Eva on the side of the head and sent her reeling to the ground. He stood over her, but she didn't move.

"That didn't have to happen," he said with mock pity. He turned his face toward Elizabeth and smiled.

"I heard in town that you moved away, but you're back. Homesick?"

"Benjamin… she needs help. Please," she begged. "Please go get help."

"You didn't answer my question. Did you miss me?"

"Please! She's not moving. You really hurt her…"

"I'm not leaving. We need to catch up, Elizabeth. You've been gone a long time."

"NO!" she screamed, trying to bolt past him. He grabbed her as she ran past him and threw her back on the ground. She looked up in time to see him lift the branch above his head. She brought her hands up and braced for the blow.

Suddenly there was a loud crack in the air. Benjamin's face twisted, and then he fell to the ground. As Elizabeth scrambled away, she saw her mother standing with the shotgun still pointed where Benjamin had stood seconds before.

"I-I-I saw him… following Miss Beadle. I couldn't let him… I had to stop him," Mrs. Miller stammered. She let the gun drop to the ground. Her hands shook as she covered her mouth. "Oh, God…"

Elizabeth looked back at Benjamin, unnaturally slouched on the ground, still clinging to the branch. He didn't move. She didn't want to get closer to be sure. She didn't want to have to touch him at all. She quickly crawled to see if Eva was OK. There was a gash above her left eye. She was knocked out, but Elizabeth could feel her breathing.

"What are we going to do? We need to get your father…"

"We need to get Dr. Baker. Miss Beadle is bleeding where he hit her."

"But what about…" They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone running towards them. They saw Ian McLeod appear from the other side of the hill.

"Mrs. Miller! Are you alright? I heard the screaming and the gunshot. What happened," he panted. She didn't answer. He followed her stare. "Elizabeth?! What are you…"

"Oh, Ian… we need Dr. Baker quick! Miss Beadle is hurt real bad." Elizabeth stroked her teacher's hair gently. Tears ran down her face as she leaned over and whispered assurance that she'd be ok. Ian didn't move.

"Go! Quickly! Please, you have to hurry!" Ian took off slowly, staring at her until he reached the crest of the hill and then disappeared. Mrs. Miller joined her daughter on the ground.

"Elizabeth, I'll stay here… go find your father. He should be heading home from town about now… hurry. He's going to need to bring a wagon up the hill. Run!" Elizabeth instantly obeyed and climbed down the hill as fast as she could, running past her house and down the lane that headed toward the main road into town. She uttered a prayer of thanks when his wagon came around the bend in a matter of minutes. He pulled on the reins as soon as he saw her.

"What is it? What happened?"

"Oh, Pa… you've got to come quick. Something awful…" she couldn't finish. He reached down and hauled her into the wagon with a quick pull.

"Where is your ma?" He demanded.

"Up on the hill… we need a wagon," she managed between sobs.

"Is she alright? What is she doing up there?" He asked, panic rising in his voice.

"Oh, Pa… Benjamin Stevins is dead. Ma shot him." She could barely believe the words as she said them. With a crack of the reins, the horses ran the rest of the way home.

"Elizabeth, this wagon will never make it up there… you're going to have to hitch up the farm wagon and drive it up," he commanded as he jumped and ran toward the hill. Her hands trembled as she unhitched the horse and led it to the smaller farm wagon. She grabbed a pile of horse blankets from the barn, threw them in the wagon and urged the horse toward the hill. Everything seemed like a bad dream.

Dr. Baker sat in his office and read the letter again. He had sent a telegram to an old friend from medical college in Minneapolis and received a response.

Dear Hiram,

It was a delight to receive your letter and to learn that you are finally ready to leave country medicine and join me in the city. It also came quite providentially as the board of directors has given me the task of opening and staffing a small clinic that will open in the coming months. I cannot think of a person better suited for the job of Chief Physician than you. I look forward to hearing your answer as soon as possible.

Sincerely, Samuel Weber, MD

He carefully folded the letter and placed it in his coat pocket. He tried to tell Eva about his plan earlier in the day, but never mustered the courage. She was angry and hurting. It wasn't the right time. He was starting to think there would never be the right time.

He was pulled away from his thoughts by the sound of a horse running toward his door. He stood quickly and shoved the letter into his vest pocket, grabbed his medical bag and coat and opened the door. Ian McLeod fell breathless into his arms.

"Dr. Baker," he gasped. "Out at the Miller's… come quick. There's been an accident."

"What kind of accident?"

"Benjamin Stevins has been shot… Miss Beadle's hurt real bad. Please hurry."

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He had just seen her a few hours ago. He ran to his surrey and headed out of town as fast as he could get the horse to run. His mind raced, thinking of her, not knowing if she was dying. He clenched his jaw to keep the sick feeling from taking over.

As he flew into the Miller's yard, he saw Mr. Miller slowly leading his farm wagon off the bottom of the hill behind his house. He leaped out of his surrey and ran to find Eva in the cart, unconscious and bleeding from her head.

"What happened to her?" he demanded. He pressed his fingers to her neck searching for a pulse.

"Sh-she was hit in the head with a stick, they told me. I wasn't there, Dr. Baker, I don't know what happened. She hasn't come to… is she going to be alright."

"Help me get her inside… quickly!" The lifted her and carried her to into the house and gently placed her on a bed. Mrs. Miller and Elizabeth ran inside behind them, both with frantic looks on their faces. He barked orders for lamps and water and then turned his full attention toward the figure lying still on the bed. He checked her pulse and found it to be strong. He bent over to check her breathing, also normal. He inspected the wound on her head and though there was a lot of blood, it was not a deep wound. Everything else indicated to him that her skull had been spared injury. An audible sigh of relief escaped his lips as he cleaned and bandaged her head. There wasn't much he could do but wait for her to wake up and he had no idea how long that could be. He reached for her hand, folded it in both of his and held it for a long time.

He couldn't deny that he loved her. He wondered if he had loved her longer than he dared admit to himself. He closed his eyes and prayed for God to heal all her wounds, not just the physical ones. He placed her hand gently back by her side, knowing that it was only in her unconscious state that he could even be bold enough to show such affection.

"Dr. Baker?" Mr. Miller called to him quietly through the door. He rose to his feet and left the room. Ian had returned and joined the Millers around the table, waiting for his report.

"I think she is going to be fine, but I won't be sure until she wakes up. She shouldn't be moved."

"Of course, she'll stay here," Mrs. Miller said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead looked at her husband.

"Uh, Dr. Baker… I need you to come outside," he explained. He led the way, back to the wagon. Benjamin lay on his back with his feet hung over the back, too tall to fit in the cart. A horse blanket had been spread over his body. He forgot about Benjamin. He touched the body. It was clear that there was nothing he could have done; the boy was probably dead before anyone came to fetch him.

"My wife… she done it, Dr. Baker," Mr. Miller confessed. "But I'm ready to say I done it. If I had been there, it would have been me that done it, so I don't mind saying that's the way it happened if it will save my wife."

"I don't understand… what are you talking about?" Dr. Baker rubbed his head. It was all so confusing.

"Benjamin Stevins was a devil, doctor. He ruined my daughter. I don't know what he come back here for except to do it again. My wife shot him before he got that chance. I'm just sorry Miss Beadle got caught in it. I do hope she'll be all right. But I am not sorry he's dead."

Dr. Baker stared at the farmer as he listened to his explanation. It answered some questions, yet begged still many more. He looked at the twisted expression still on the dead boy's face, and then quickly covered it again.

"Mr. Miller, this is a very bad problem. This wasn't an accident. I'm not saying that I blame your wife for what she did. But there is going to be an investigation. A lot of questions will have to be answered. Is your family prepared to face it all?" Mr. Miller's face dropped.

"I am," Elizabeth said flatly. They were unaware that she stood back listening to everything they said. "Papa, I told you before… I don't care what people think. I don't want to lie anymore. It costs too many people too much."

"Elizabeth, why was Miss Beadle here?" the doctor asked.

"She came to talk to me. She, uh… she found out I was back and wanted to talk about my trip east, I guess. Benjamin was crazy and out of control. She tried to fight him, but…" her voice trailed off. She looked away. Dr. Baker knew she wasn't telling the whole truth.

The three of them stood in silence. The sun had finished setting and the pale purple sky gave them very little light.

"We should take the boy to his family, explain to them what happened. I'm not sure what will happen after that. I don't want to go, but as the doctor I must. Elizabeth, please stay with Miss Beadle. If her breathing changes or anything like that, you send Ian to fetch me." He nodded at her father and the two arranged a wagon to carry the body home.

Elizabeth went back inside and told her mother what was going to happen next. Her mother put her head down on the table and quiet started to cry. Elizabeth rushed to her side, soothed her and tried to comfort her as they cried together.

"Mother, it is going to be alright, you'll see. Please, don't cry. I'm sorry… this is all my fault."

Ian stood up, overwhelmed by what was happening, and still shocked to find that Elizabeth had returned home without telling him. He decided to quietly leave when Elizabeth said his name. He looked into her teary eyes as she begged him to stay. He sat back down and waited.