“Good morning, John,” Susan called out as he neared. The sun was shining in her face and she put up her hand to hereyes.
“Susan, lovely morning, is itnot?”
“Yes,lovely.”
John arrived and the dogs, seeing Elizabeth ran over to her, circling and sniffing. One of the dogs barked and looked over at John. He looked over at the dog and froze andblanched.
“What?” Susan cried out and turned to where John waslooking.
Elizabeth was sitting on the ground eating what both she and John instantly recognized as a poisonousmushroom.
John raced over, knocked the fungus from her hand, as she looked up startled and began to cry. He kneeled down and stuck his finger down her throat and she began gagging and then threw up what she’d justeaten.
John looked up at Susan who had comeover.
“Hopefully she won’t have ingested any of this, but take her to her room, put her to bed, and watch her. I’m going to ride for the doctor. Make her drink lots of water and let her vomit if shecan.”
John picked Elizabeth up and he began running toward the house with the dogs at his heels. Susan ran after and as they neared the house, John handed Elizabeth over to Susan and he ran to thestable.
Susan ran into the house and told a kitchen maid, “Please find Aunt Clarissa and have her come to the child’s roomimmediately.”
“Yes, Miss,” the maid said, scampering off to alertAunt.
Elizabeth was still crying as Susan put her on the child’sbed.
“It’s going to be all right,” Susan assuredElizabeth.
“Was I bad?” Elizabethasked.
“No, honey, not bad, but you may have made your tummy a little sick. Your father’s gone to get the doctor and he’ll make you allbetter.”
Aunt Clarissa burst into theroom.
“What happened?” she asked coming over to thebedside.
“Bad mushrooms. I’m afraid it’s entirely my fault. I wasn’t watching. John’s gone to fetch for thedoctor.”
“Has she vomited,” Clarissaasked.
“Yes.”
“And do you have any idea how long she had it in herstomach?”
“Not long at all. I had only just looked away as John wasapproaching.”
Clarissa felt the girl’s forehead for fever. “She seems to be running a light temperature. Hopefully, you caught it quickly enough. Let’s get her drinkingwater.”
Clarissa went to the bedside table and poured a glass of water from a pitcher. She gave Elizabeth theglass.
“Here, my dear, drink as much as youcan.”
Elizabeth took the glass in both hands and began drinking thewater.
“I feel terrible, Clarissa. I should have been watching her moreclosely.”
“Susan, these things happen. She’s young and doesn’t know thedanger.”
After emptying the glass Elizabeth said, “I don’t feel very well. My tummyhurts.”
