Part 32 (1/2)
Archie gathered her up in his arms and bore her to the hospital tent where a nurse awaited theo at once to the bath house on the shore,” ordered the doctor with a brisk professional air ”Take one of these lanterns, and strip and rub yourselves dry Hot coffee will be sent you shortly
As there isn't a , but if you need medical attention let me know”
The tent flap fell
”We're lucky devils,” said the Governor, as they wrung the water from their clothes in the bath house ”If we hadn't been just where ere those girls would have drowned In their skirts they couldn't have made the shore Lucky I say!”
”We have so to take up this little ain”
”Patience!” cried the Governor, now in high spirits though his teeth chattered ”It was his inning; he kept the Huddleston, but we don't want to waste our chance of scoring e go to bat
Patience; and then oing to notify the authorities now?” dereatest satisfaction to send him over the road for attempted murder”
”We could do that beyond question; but I've already told you, e of the law and the evidence in these matters I mean to end my career as the prince of villains with a flourish There shall be no loose ends My tiot to tie all pending es adorned with pink ribbons Moon, stars and all other influences are just right for a successful termination of my seven years of servitude to the powers of darkness, and if I don't shake 'em off at the exact moment ordained by the heavens I' There you have it in a nutshell Marriage, home, a life of tranquil respectability with the woht When you speak of calling sheriffs into consultation you htly ill Old sinners like Leary and me have no confidence in the law's benevolence; and it ht be e We shall hold to our course, Archie!”
A pot of coffee and a basket of sandwiches were left at the bath house door and they partook with the zest of shi+pwrecked mariners At the end of an hour, reclad in their wet clothes, they huddled at the landing waiting for news from the hospital tent Mrs Perry came down presently to report that Isabel and Ruth were asleep
”Isabel has a badly bruised hand--no bones broken but it was an ugly s for a few days”
”Her hand,” Archie ly that Mrs Perry looked at him curiously
That one of Isabel's adorable hands should be injured enraged him; he felt the hurt in his own heart, and he resolved that Carey should pay dearly for an offense that surpassed all other cri of tiainst any unhappy consequences of their ier of cold, but Dr Reynolds is a skilful young woirls They will be laughing at theirour spirits a lot,” said Archie, and Leary, standing a little behind hily ejaculated a heartfelt ”thank God!”
”I wish,” said Mrs Perry, ”we allant conduct; but for any report of this et abroad would be disastrous, a dire calains early, and it would be best for you to return to Huddleston and keep silent as to the accident”
”We appreciate all that, and you may count on our discretion,” said the Governor ”Let er of starvation, you need have no fear on that score I wired yesterday for a tug I's and it will put in here so the afternoon”
”You are wonderful!” exclaimed Mrs Perry ”After you ran past the barricade so successfully and delivered the little Congdon girl I've been sure Ruth's confidence in you isn'tmatter I wish you'd tell ive this buried treasure story? While we're about it we o to the bottom of that”
The rays of the lantern Archie held disclosed an incredulous smile on Mrs Perry's face She was a tall handsome woman, very like Isabel, even in the tones of her voice and in an occasional gesture; and she had Isabel's fine eyes
”I've never thought that entle for chests of money that may never have been buried here at all
There was, to be sure, a considerable fortune, but my father-in-lahom I never saould have beenbanks in the northern states or in Canada Richard Carey evidently believes the story, though frooing to desperate lengths to search for the treasure
His conduct is tinged a good deal with resentment because Isabel has repeatedly refused to race to his fahed deeply
”I sometimes wonder that there's any white wool in the world; there are so many of these skittish little black lambkins scattered over the pastures!”