Part 52 (1/2)
For a moment longer she held him with her eyes. Then her face grew suddenly pale and, with voice and hands trembling, she said:
”I must go. Good-by.”
He took her great red hand in his long thin fingers.
”Good-by, Mandy, and thank you.”
”My!” she said, looking down at the fingers she held in her hand. ”Your hands is awful thin. Are you sure goin' to git better?”
”Of course I am, and I am coming out to see you before I go.”
She sat down quickly, still holding his hand, as if he had struck her a heavy blow.
”Before you go? Where?” Her voice was hardly above a whisper; her face was white, her lips beyond her control.
”Out West to seek my fortune.” His voice was jaunty and he feigned not to see her distress. ”I shall be walking in a couple of weeks or so, eh, nurse?”
”A couple of weeks?” replied the nurse, who had just entered. ”Yes, if you are good.”
Mandy hastily rose.
”But if you are not,” continued the nurse severely, ”it may be months.
Stay, Miss Haley, I am going to bring Mr. Cameron his afternoon tea and you can have some with him. Indeed, you look quite done up. I am sure all that work you have been telling me about is too much for you.”
Her kindly tones broke the last shred of Mandy's self-control. She sank into her chair, covered her face with her great red hands and burst into tempestuous weeping. Cameron sat up quickly.
”What in the name of goodness is wrong, Mandy?”
”Lie down at once, Mr. Cameron!” said the nurse sternly. ”Hush, hush, Miss Haley! You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Don't you know that you are hurting him?”
She could have chosen no better word. In an instant Mandy was on her feet, mopping off her face and choking down her sobs.
”Ain't I a fool?” she cried angrily. ”A blamed fool. Well, I won't bother you any longer. Guess I'll go now. Good-by all.” Without another look at Cameron she was gone.
Cameron lay back upon his pillows, white and nerveless.
”Now can you tell me,” he panted, ”what's up?”
”Search me!” said the nurse gaily, ”but I forbid you to speak a single word for half an hour. Here, drink this right off! Now, not a word! What will Dr. Martin say? Not a word! Yes, I shall see her safely off the place. Quiet now!” She kept up a continuous stream of sprightly chatter to cover her own anxiety and to turn the current of her patient's thoughts. By the time she had reached the entrance hall, however, Mandy had vanished.
”Great silly goose!” said the indignant nurse. ”I'd see myself far enough before I'd give myself away like that. Little fool! He'll have a temperature sure and I will catch it. Bah! These girls! Next time she sees him it will not be here. I hope the doctor will just give me an hour to get him quiet again.”
But in this hope she was disappointed, for upon her return to her patient she found Dr. Martin in the room. His face was grave.
”What's up, nurse? What is the meaning of this rotten pulse? What has he been having to eat?”
”Well, Dr. Martin, I may as well confess my sins,” replied the nurse, ”for there is no use trying to deceive you anyway. Mr. Cameron has had a visitor and she has excited him.”