Part 9 (1/2)
”Really. Mrs. Phipps--”
”Miss, not Mrs.”
”I beg your pardon. Really, Miss Phipps, I cannot permit you to take so much trouble. I must go on, back to the village--or--or somewhere.
I--Dear me?”
”What is it?”
”Nothing, nothing, my head is rather confused--dizzy. I shall be all right again, shortly. I am ashamed of myself.”
”You needn't be. Anybody that has walked 'way down here, a night like this, on an empty stomach--” She paused, laughed, and exclaimed, ”Of course, I don't mean you walked on your stomach, exactly, Mr. Bangs.”
Galusha smiled, feebly. ”There were times when I began to think I should be forced to,” he said.
”I don't doubt it. There, there! now don't try to talk any more till you've had something to eat. Doctor Powers will be here pretty soon; it isn't very far--in an automobile. I'm afraid he's liable to have a queer notion of what's the matter with you. The idea of that Primmie tellin'
him you hadn't had anything but rum for she didn't know how long! My, my! Well, 'twas the truth, but it bears out what my father used to say, that a little truth was like a little learnin', an awfully dangerous thing.... There, there! don't talk. I'll talk for both of us. I have a faculty that way--father used to say THAT, too,” she added, with a broad smile.
When Doctor Powers did arrive, which was about fifteen minutes later, he found the patient he had come to see drinking hot tea and eating b.u.t.tered toast. He was sitting in a big rocker with his steaming shoes propped against the stove. Miss Phipps introduced the pair and explained matters to the extent of her knowledge. Galusha added the lacking details.
The doctor felt the Bangs' pulse and took the Bangs temperature. The owner of the pulse and temperature made feeble protests, declaring himself to be ”perfectly all right, really” and that he must be going back to the village. He couldn't think of putting every one to so much trouble.
”And where will you go when you get back to the village?” asked Doctor Powers.
”Why, to the--ah--hotel. I presume there is a hotel.”
”No, there isn't. The Inn across the road here is the only hotel in East Wellmouth, and that is closed for the season.”
”Dear me, doctor! Dear me! Well, perhaps I may be able to hire a--ah--car or wagon or something to take me to Wellmouth. I have friends in Wellmouth; I intended visiting them. Do you know Professor Hall--ah--George Hall, of New York?”
”Yes, I know him well. He and his family are patients of mine. But the Halls are not in Wellmouth now.”
”They are not?”
”No, they went back to New York two weeks or more ago. Their cottage is closed.”
”Dear me!... Oh, dear!... Why, but--but there IS a hotel at Wellmouth?”
”Yes, a kind of hotel, but you mustn't think of going there to-night.”
Then, with a motion of his hand, he indicated to Miss Phipps that he wished to speak with her alone. She led the way to the kitchen and he followed.
”Martha,” he said, when the door closed, ”to be absolutely honest with you, that man in there shouldn't go out again to-night. He has been half sick for some time, I judge from what he has told me, and he is weak and worn out from his tramp and wetting.”
Miss Phipps shook her head impatiently.
”The idea of Raish Pulcifer's cartin' him 'way over here and then leavin' him in the middle of the road,” she said. ”It's just like Raish, but that doesn't help it any; nothin' that's like Raish helps anything--much,” she added.
The doctor laughed.