Part 44 (2/2)
The horse got clumsily to his feet, all the battle knocked out of him, and followed weakly till she handed him over to a groom.
Eager to escape the stares that met her and the sympathy and felicitations that greeted her, she walked so rapidly that the Senator dropped back. She found herself alone with Forbes, and she murmured:
”You were wonderful to try to save me as you did.”
”As I didn't,” he groaned. ”You wouldn't let me.”
”No, I don't want you ever to risk anything for me, Harvey. But I'm just as grateful--and more than that. If there weren't so many people looking on do you know what I'd say?”
”What?”
”Kiss me.” The words came so unexpectedly that he forgot their subjunctive mode. He took them to be in the imperative, and came near obeying. He checked himself in time, and said:
”How soon shall I be able to call you mine before all the world?”
”Do you wish that?”
”Madly! It is my one great wish.”
She breathed deeply and caressed him with a delicious smile, and murmured:
”It is mine, too.”
And then Ten Eyck and Winifred and Mrs. Neff and Alice, and others of her acquaintance, crowded round, summoned by the flying rumor of the incident. At length some one exclaimed:
”But where's Willie?”
”Good Lord,” Persis gasped, ”I forgot all about him.”
Some one else who had been on the links described Willie's disappearance over the brow of the hill. He had been still attached to the horse when last heard from. But his prospects were reported to be poor.
By the time Persis had reached the club-house and had undergone the ministrations of a maid, who was also a seamstress, Willie came limping up on the terrace, where Persis was seated with the others.
”Oh, there you are, my dear,” Willie drawled. ”And not a bit hurt, not a hair turned, so far as I can make out, eh? And here I've been worrying myself sick over you--simply sick.”
”Well, I'll go out and break a few bones if it would make you feel any easier,” Persis answered. ”But what happened to you? Where's your horse?”
”Well, I'll tell you. It was like this. You see, that beast I was on went galumphing up the hill playing the deuce with putting-greens, until he came to that big bunker at the top, you know--you know the one I mean--at the top there--the big bunker?”
”Yes, I know.”
”Well, he refused it.”
”What did you do?”
”I took it alone.”
<script>