"Oh, she told me about _you_!" said Donald in a bl.u.s.tering manner; and, s.n.a.t.c.hing his arm away, he sprang out upon the sidewalk.
His remark evoked curiosity; but Charles"s overweening interest was not in Angela now. And he was thinking intently: "He"s not engaged to Helen Carson yet, by a long shot. He"s not even at the station--that"s a mile--on Washington Street. I"d better keep an eye on you, my buck ..."
Aloud he said: "She did?--nothing good, I fear. Here!--wait a minute!
That package for Miss Mary, Donald--I expect you"d better leave it for me to take, after all. I"ll find some way to get it around to her--"
"All right--"
"You bring it by as you start for the station, that"s the best way. Then we"ll drive down together," said Charles, fixing his friend with a compelling gaze. "I"ve--ah--got some things I want to talk to you about."
"I"ll bring it by," said Donald, non-committally, and rushed away.
He went up seven floors, telephoned for the "staff valet," and proceeded to business. There was a period of the wildest activity. At the end of it, the hour being then too late for hope that any expressman would make the train with the trunk, Donald engaged the valet to secure a carriage, take down and check the baggage, get him a ticket and a seat, and be waiting for him with these things at a given point. In such slapdash, inefficient fashion this young man conducted all his personal life.
"And mind you see the baggage on the train," he warned the fellow. "This is an important trip."
He shot down again, dressed to "kill" the house-party, but lugging a large box, and strode out into the fading sunshine. Before the hotel door, to his surprise, stood Charlie Garrott"s borrowed car, empty, and before the car stood Charlie Garrott"s borrowed driver, greeting him with all his teeth.
"What"re _you_ waiting here for?" said Donald, staring.
"Goin" to drive you an" Mist" Garrott to the deepo--yessuh! Mist"
Garrott tole me to wait right here an" bring you round, suh!"
Donald again was rather touched by the thoughtfulness of his friend.
Take him all in all, old Charlie was a pretty good fellow. However, he would have ridden down in the hack with the valet, if he had wanted to ride. Of course, he might send the box around by this fellow--but no, if old Charlie was expecting him, that would seem pretty short, particularly as Mrs. Herman"s was right on his way.
"I"m much obliged to you--er--Eustace--but I"ll walk, I guess. I haven"t had any exercise to-day."
"Boss, he say you mout not ketch yo" train if you was to walk."
"Oh, I"ve got plenty of time for the train--plenty!" said Donald, hastily, and shifted the box to look at his watch again. "I"ll leave word for Mr. Garrott myself."
"Suh! Thank you kindly, suh!"
Donald swung off toward Mrs. Herman"s, but three blocks distant. Behind him, un.o.bserved, trailed the old lady"s limousine, very slow. When he was still a block from his destination, the hurrying young man was all at once struck with an annoying recollection. "Curses!" he groaned. "I forgot my sweater!" That meant that he would have to go back, without doubt: for the sweater was a brand-new one, of brilliant Australian wool, and specially purchased in New York for the winter-sports. Donald, accordingly, felt unable to linger over his good-bye messages to Charles. He said hurriedly to Mrs. Herman, who opened the door for him: "How-do! Please give this box to Mr. Garrott, and tell him I decided to walk. He"ll understand." And on that, he sprang away down the steps, two at a time, and started swiftly back to the Bellingham.
But just as he reached the corner, he was suddenly arrested by the sound of his own name, rolling loudly after him down the street.
"_Donald! Hi, there! Stop!_"
Donald halting, looked upward and all about him. Presently, through the top branches of an intervening tree, he descried Charles Garrott leaning far out of Mrs. Herman"s third-story window. "Well?" called Donald.
"What"s the matter? Where"re you going?" demanded Charles in a voice that broke easily through the tree. "I said we"d drive down together!"
He was heard continuing in another tone: "_No!_ Stop, Eustace! Don"t go away--I want you!"
"Much obliged," shouted Donald, "but I"d rather walk."
Charles said something out the window, which Donald failed to catch.
"What say?"
"You come back!" cried Charles, beckoning, while pa.s.sing pedestrians craned their necks upward. "Wait for me--just a minute--I"m all ready!
And I"ve got to speak to you--about several things! About the package!"
But Donald, objecting to the attention they were attracting, shook his head decisively. "Haven"t time now. Forgot something ... back to my rooms."
"If you haven"t time to wait, you certainly haven"t time to walk back to your rooms! You"re going to miss your train with all this walking!"
That was pointed enough to cause Donald to pause again, and look at his watch for the twentieth time. He found that he still had twenty-five minutes, time enough, of course, but then he might have to hunt for the sweater, and there was the business of the luggage at the station, too.
Down through the branches boomed the strangely insistent voice of Charles: "Why, by George! You"ve only got twenty minutes. Here, take my car there, quick! You can barely make it, driving fast ..."
And in a lower voice he said: "After him, Eustace! Get him to the station as fast as you can. Don"t fail this time."
Donald was hesitating, struck as Charles meant him to be, with the fear that his watch might be slow. He now called, with evidences of ill-humor and disturbance:--
"All right, then! But I can"t stop for you."
"Oh, that"s all right, old fellow--my matters can wait! I"ll look out for the package! Just you catch your train, that"s all!"
Continuing to lean out of the Studio window, Charles watched the dullard step into the old lady"s tightly closed car, and whirl away--safe at last. As the car shot round the corner, he suddenly laughed aloud: a triumphant laugh, but charged with irritation, too.
Then Charles, aloft, drew head and torso back into the Studio, banged shut the window, and found Mrs. Herman just plumping the large white box of things for Mary down on his writing-table. The spectacle brought forward the other matter instantly. Of course, he had agreed to receive the box purely as a means of keeping an eye on Donald.
"Oh, yes--as to the package, Mrs. Herman, perhaps you wouldn"t mind taking it down as you go, and just leaving it on the hall table?
I--ah--shall probably call a messenger to take it--a little later."
"Certainly, Mr. Garrott," said Mrs. Herman, picking up the box again.
"And oh, would you mind telling the Judge I"d like to speak to him a minute before he goes out?"
"Certainly, Mrs. Herman."
The landlady, lingering, said: "He seems in poor spirits, don"t you think so, Mr. Garrott? His appet.i.te is not what it was. And he goes out and takes these long walks, alone, day after day, or sits here by himself in the Studio. I don"t think it"s good for him. I think he broods."
"It"s nothing serious, Mrs. Herman. He"s annoyed with me, I fear, for giving up some physical culture exercises which he hoped might make a man of me yet. Also, for being such a continuous failure as a writer."
"But it"s not your fault, Mr. Garrott! You do the very best you can, I"m sure. The Judge is unreasonable--that"s what I say. Oh, I could coax him into a good humor easily enough, but I scarcely ever see him nowadays, except at meal times. I can"t very well offer to go with him on his walks, can I?--but I"m sure the solitude is bad for him."
"Ah, you should get yourself a little Fordette, Mrs. Herman."
"And what is a little Fordette, Mr. Garrott?"
"Oh--simply a sort of wheeled device for going with people on their walks. I"m explaining it in a story. But," said Charles, "I won"t fail to give the Judge your message."
Left alone, the young man stood for a s.p.a.ce in the middle of the floor, gazing intently at nothing. Then he seated himself at his table and produced ma.n.u.script from the drawer. Then he put the ma.n.u.script back in the drawer, and stared at nothing again. Finally, he rose, opened the bedroom door quietly, and said:--
"Judge, I find I have to go out for a little while."