Part 30 (2/2)
”He was like himself, the ould man was,” said Mike. ”I went in to see him this mornin'--he sent for me, you understand--and he give me the divil and all for not was.h.i.+n' the front room windows. 'Dom ye,' says he, 'I've only got a little while to look out of thim windows; don't you suppose I want thim so I _can_ look out of thim?' And the windows clean as clean all the time, mind ye. Sure, I didn't care: 'Twas just his way of bein' dacint to me. He give me a five dollar bill before I left, G.o.d rest him. And now----”
Mike was tremendously upset. The captain learned that the attack had developed about six, and the judge had grown steadily worse since. The upper windows of the Knowles house were bright with lights as they drove in at the yard gate. Mrs. Tidditt met them at the door. Her thin, hard face was tear-streaked and haggard.
”Oh, I'm so glad you've come, Cap'n Kendrick,” she cried. ”He's been askin' for you.”
In the hall at the foot of the stairs Doctor Sheldon was waiting. They shook hands and Sears looked a question.
”Not a chance,” whispered the doctor. ”Barring miracles, he will go before morning. He shouldn't see any one, but he insisted on seeing you.
I'll give you five minutes, no more. Don't excite him.”
The judge looked up from the pillow as Sears tiptoed into the room. His face was flushed with fever, but otherwise he looked very much as when the captain last visited him. It did not seem possible that this could really be the end.
”h.e.l.lo, Kendrick,” whispered Judge Knowles. ”Sit down. Sorry I can't shake hands with you.”
The voice was weak, of course, but not much weaker than when he had last heard it. No, it did not seem possible. Captain Sears murmured something about his sorrow at finding the judge ill again.
”That's all right, that's all right,” was the testy rejoinder. ”You didn't expect to find me any other way, did you? Kendrick, I wasn't so far off when I talked about that graveyard trip, eh?... Umph--yes. How much time did Sheldon say you might have with me?... Don't fool around and waste any of it. How many minutes--come?”
”Five.”
”Humph! He might have made it ten, blast him! Well, then listen. When I'm gone you're going to be the head of that Fair Harbor place. You're going to keep on being the head, I mean. I've fixed it so you'll get your salary.”
”But, Judge----”
”Hus.h.!.+ Let me do the talking. Good Lord, man,” with an attempt at a chuckle, ”you wouldn't grudge me any of the little talk I have left, would you? You are to keep on being the head of the Fair Harbor--you _must_ for a year or so. And Elizabeth Berry is to be the manager and head, under you--if she wants to be. Understand?”
”Why, yes. But, Judge, how----”
”I've fixed it, I tell you. Wait a little while and you'll know how. But that isn't what I want to say to you. Lobelia is dead.”
”What?”
”Don't keep asking me what. Listen. Lobelia Seymour--hanged if I'll call her Lobelia Phillips!--is dead. She died over a month ago. I got a letter this afternoon mailed in Florence by that husband of hers. There it is, on that table, by the tumbler.... Yes, that's it. Don't stop to read it now. Put it in your pocket. You will have time to read it. Time counts with me. Now listen, Kendrick.”
He paused and asked for water. The captain put the gla.s.s to his lips. He swallowed once or twice and then impatiently jerked his head aside.
”There are two things you've got to promise me, Kendrick,” he whispered, earnestly. ”One is that, so long as you can fight, that condemned Egbert Phillips shan't have a cent of the Fair Harbor property, endowment fund, land or anything else. Will you fight the scamp for me, Kendrick?”
”Of course. The best I know how.”
”You know more than most men in this town. I shouldn't have picked you for your job if you didn't. That's one thing--spike Egbert's guns.
Here's the other: Look out for Elizabeth Berry.”
The captain was not expecting this. He leaned back so suddenly that his chair squeaked. The sick man did not notice, or, if he did, paid no attention.
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