"I"ll send out food or anything. But nothing to drink. There"s Champane on the ice for you when you"ve finished, however. And you"ll find pens and ink and paper on the table."
The anser to this was Mr. Beecher"s full weight against the door. But it held, even against the full force of his fine physic.
"Even if you do break it open," Mr. Patten said, "you can"t go very far the way you are. Now be a good fellow, and let"s get this thing done.
It"s for your good as well as mine. You"ll make a Fortune out of it."
Then he went into his own door, and soon came out, looking like a gentleman, unless one knew, as I did, that he was a Whited Sepulcher.
How long I sat there, paralized with emotion, I do not know. Hannah came out and roused me from my Trance of grief. She is a kindly soul, although to afraid of mother to be helpful.
"Come in like a good girl, Miss Bab," she said. "There"s that fruit salad that cook prides herself on, and I"ll ask her to brown a bit of sweetbread for you."
"Hannah," I said in a low voice, "there is a Crime being committed in this neighborhood, and you talk to me of food."
"Good gracious, Miss Bab!"
"I cannot tell you any more than that, Hannah," I said gently, "because it is only being done now, and I cannot make up my Mind about it. But of course I do not want any food."
As I say, I was perfectly gentle with her, and I do not understand why she burst into tears and went away.
I sat and thought it all over. I could not leave, under the circ.u.mstances. But yet, what was I to do? It was hardly a Police matter, being between friends, as one may say, and yet I simply could not bare to leave my Ideal there in that damp bath-house without either food or, as one may say, raiment.
About the middle of the afternoon it occurred to me to try to find a key for the lock of the bath-house. I therfore left my Studio and proceded to the house. I pa.s.sed close by the fatal building, but there was no sound from it.
I found a number of trunk-keys in a drawer in the library, and was about to escape with them, when father came in. He gave me a long look, and said:
"Bee still buzzing?"
I had hoped for some understanding from him, but my Spirits fell at this speach.
"I am still working, father," I said, in a firm if nervous tone. "I am not doing as good work as I would if things were diferent, but--I am at least content, if not happy."
He stared at me, and then came over to me.
"Put out your tongue," he said.
Even against this crowning infamey I was silent.
"That"s all right," he said. "Now see here, Chicken, get into your riding togs and we"ll order the horses. I don"t intend to let this play-acting upset your health."
But I refused. "Unless, of course, you insist," I finished. He only shook his head, however, and left the room. I felt that I had lost my Last Friend.
I did not try the keys myself, but instead stood off a short distance and through them through the window. I learned later that they struck Mr. Beecher on the head. Not knowing, of course, that I had flung them, and that my reason was pure Friendliness and Idealizm, he through them out again with a violent exclamation. They fell at my feet, and lay there, useless, regected, tradgic.
At last I summoned courage to speak.
"Can"t I do somthing to help?" I said, in a quaking voice, to the window.
There was no anser, but I could hear a pen scraching on paper.
"I do so want to help you," I said, in a louder tone.
"Go, away" said his voice, rather abstracted than angry.
"May I try the keys?" I asked. Be still, my Heart! For the scraching had ceased.
"Who"s that?" asked the beloved voice. I say "beloved" because an Ideal is always beloved. The voice was beloved, but sharp.
"It"s me."
I heard him mutter somthing, and I think he came to the Door.
"Look here," he said. "Go away. Do you understand? I want to work. And don"t come near here again until seven o"clock."
"Very well," I said faintly.
"And then come without fail," he said.
"Yes, Mr. Beecher," I replied. How commanding he was! Strong but tender!
"And if anyone comes around making a noise, before that, you shoot them for me, will you?"
"SHOOT them?"
"Drive them off, or use a Bean-shooter. Anything. But don"t yell at them. It distracts me."
It was a Sacred trust. I, and only I, stood between him and his MAGNUM OPUM. I sat down on the steps of our bath-house, and took up my vigel.
It was about five o"clock when I heard Jane approaching. I knew it was Jane, because she always wears tight shoes, and limps when un.o.bserved.
Although having the reputation of the smallest foot of any girl in our set in the city, I prefer Comfort and Ease, unhampered by heals--French or otherwise. No man will ever marry a girl because she wears a small shoe, and catches her heals in holes in the Boardwalk, and has to soak her feet at night before she can sleep. However----
Jane came on, and found me croutched on the doorstep, in a lowly attatude, and holding my finger to my lips.
She stopped and stared at me.
"h.e.l.lo," she said. "What do you think you are? A Statue?"
"Hush, Jane," I said, in a low tone. "I can only ask you to be quiet and speak in Whispers. I cannot give the reason."
"Good heavens!" she whispered. "What has happened, Bab?"
"It is happening now, but I cannot explain."
"WHAT is happening?"
"Jane," I whispered, ernestly, "you have known me a long time and I have always been Trustworthy, have I not?"
She nodded. She is never exactly pretty, and now she had opened her mouth and forgot to close it.