Part 4 (1/2)
”I'm so glad to know your name; that is one of the things that has been worrying me,” said the patient, as he signed his name and the notary affixed his seal after the oaths were duly taken.
CHAPTER IV.
GONE!
”I am waiting, Dr. Wright,” said Helen, after the notary public had taken his departure and Douglas had gone to put finis.h.i.+ng touches to the very rapid packing of steamer trunks, Mrs. Carter helping in her pathetically inefficient way. Helen stood at the top of the stairs to intercept the doctor as he left the patient's room.
”Waiting for what?”
”For you to tell me you were astonished to find me in my father's room when you had given express orders that none of us were to see him.”
”But I was not astonished.”
”Oh, you expected to find me?”
”I did not know whether I should find you, but I knew very well you would go there.”
”So you thought I would sneak in and sneak out?”
”I did not call it sneaking but I was pretty sure you had no confidence in me and would do your own sweet will. I hope you are satisfied now that it was best not to excite your father.”
”But I did not excite him. He just talked in that terrible way himself.
You are cruel to say I made him worse!”
”But I did not say so. Certainly, however, you made him no better. He said himself he waked when you came in and you did not deny it. Of course, sleep is always 'kind Nature's sweet restorer.' If you will let me pa.s.s, I will now go to see Miss Douglas about ordering your car for the train this evening. We have only about an hour's time and there is still a great deal to do. There is the expressman now for the trunks.”
”Can't even trust me to order the chauffeur to have the car at the door,” cried Helen bitterly to herself as the doctor went past her. ”I am of no use to any one in the whole world and I wish I were dead.”
The look of agony in the girl's face made an impression on the young man in spite of the strong resentment he felt toward her. He was somewhat like Helen in that he was not accustomed to disapproval, and being flouted by this schoolgirl was not a pleasant morsel to swallow. He felt sure of his diagnosis of Mr. Carter's case, for, having served for several years as head a.s.sistant in a large sanitarium in New York, he was well acquainted with the symptoms of nervous prostration. Of course, his sending the patient on a sea voyage instead of placing him in a sanitarium was somewhat of a risk, but he felt it was the best thing to do, reading the man's character as he had.
Helen's scorn and doubt of him and her seeming selfishness had certainly done little to recommend her in his eyes, but gentleness and sympathy were the strongest points in George Wright's make-up, and as he went by the girl he could read in her face agony, extreme agony and desperation.
He went up the steps again, two at a time, and said gently:
”Miss Helen, would you be so kind as to see about the car for me? Order it for 7.45. I am going to put them on at the downtown station and get them all installed in the drawing-room with the door shut so they need not see all the Richmond people who are sure to be taking this night train to New York and getting on at Elba, the uptown stop.”
”Yes--and thank you.”
”By Jove,” thought the young man, ”that girl is some looker! If she had the sense of her sister Douglas, I believe she would be pretty nice, too.”
Helen's whole countenance had changed. From the proud, scornful girl, she had turned again into her own self, the Helen her sisters knew and loved.
”You might see that Bobby is kept kind of quiet, too. Tell him I will take him out with me again soon and let him blow my horn and poke out his arm when we turn the corners, if he will be quiet for an hour.”
”All right,” said Helen meekly, wondering at her own docility in so calmly being bossed by this person whom she still meant to despise. She interviewed the chauffeur, ordering the car at the proposed time, and then captured Bobby, who was making his way to his father's room. She inveigled him into the back yard where she kept him in a state of bliss, having her supper out there with him and playing tea party to his heart's content, even pretending to eat his wonderful mud ”pies an'
puddin's.”
It was almost time for the dread departure and still she kept watch over Bobby. The mother came out in the back yard to kiss her children good-by. Poor little mother! The meadow brook has surely come on rocky places now. What effect is it to have? Perhaps the channel will be broadened and deepened when the shoals are past. Who knows?