The Ranch Girls and Their Great Adventure
recognized was undoubtedly lacking both in her appearance and emotions. She felt extremely cross and her leg hurt. She could not go up to the house assisted by a husband whom she had just scornfully refused to see, and yet she did not believe she could walk alone.

"Very well, Henry; now that you have accomplished your purpose, I hope you will be good enough to leave me," Frieda demanded, believing that she would rather suffer anything than a continuance of her present humiliation.

But Professor Russell did not stir.

"I prefer to see you safely through the woods. When we are nearer the house I may be able to find someone to take my place."

Professor Russell then leaned over and lifted Frieda to her feet. As a result she found that her leg was not broken or sprained,[78] but only bruised, and that walking was possible if she moved slowly.

[78]

However, Frieda suffered considerable pain and she was not accustomed to bodily discomfort. At first she tried not to rest her weight upon the Professor's arm, for he had put his arm under hers and was attempting to support her almost entirely. But, by and by, as the pain grew worse, she found herself growing more dependent and, as a matter of fact, her dependence seemed perfectly natural. Once it occurred to her that, during her first acquaintance with Professor Russell, he had been hurt and in more ways than one had leaned upon her. No one ever had asked any kind of care from her before, and in those days she had at least thought that she had fallen in love with the Professor. At least she had insisted upon marrying him, when her entire family had opposed the union.

There was no conversation between the husband and wife, except that several times Professor Russell, without waiting to be asked, stopped for Frieda to rest.

Then, by and by, when they had reached the edge of the woods, he saw one of the men servants at a little distance off and signalled to him.[79]

[79]

"There are many things I would like to talk over with you, Frieda, but this is not the time. Neither do I want you to think I meant to take an unfair advantage of you by forcing myself upon you without your knowledge. I think I scarcely realized myself just what I was doing. I am sorry you felt compelled to run away from home because we sometimes quarreled. I do not know just 
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