Hal, standing at the open second-story window, surveyed the strategic possibilities of the situation. His outer office jutting out into a narrow L overlooked, from a broad window, the empty s.p.a.ce of the street.
From the front he could just see the press, behind its plate-gla.s.s. This was set back some ten feet from the sidewalk line proper, and marking the outer boundary stood a row of iron posts of old and dubious origin, formerly connected by chains. Hal had a wish that they were still so joined. They would have served, at least, as a hypothetical guard-line.
The flagged and slightly depressed s.p.a.ce between these and the front of the building, while actually of private ownership, had long been regarded as part of the thoroughfare. Overlooking it from the north end, opposite Hal"s office, was another window, in the reference room. Any kind of gunnery from those vantage-spots would guard the press. But would the mere threat of firing suffice? That is what Hal wished to know. He had no desire to pump bullets into a close-packed crowd. On the other hand, he did not propose to let any mob ruin his property without a fight. His military reverie was interrupted by the entrance of Bim Currier, followed by Dr. Elliot.
"Why the fortification?" asked the latter.
"We"ve heard rumors of a mob attack."
"So"ve I. That"s why I"m here. Want any help?"
"Why, you"re very kind," began Hal dubiously; "but--"
"Rope off that s.p.a.ce," cut in the brisk doctor, seizing, with a practiced eye, upon the natural advantage of the sentinel posts. "Got any rope?"
"Yes. There"s some in the pressroom. It isn"t very strong."
"No matter. Moral effect. Mobs always stop to think, at a line. I know.
I"ve fought "em before."
"This is very good of you, to come--"
"Not a bit of it. I noticed what the "Clarion" did to its medical advertisers. I like your nerve. And I like a fight, in a good cause.
Have "em paint up some signs to put along the ropes. "Danger."--"Keep Out."--"Trespa.s.sers Enter Here at their Peril"; and that sort of thing."
"I"ll do it," said Hal, going to the telephone to give the orders.
While he was thus engaged, McGuire Ellis entered.
"h.e.l.lo!" the physician greeted him. "What have you got there?
Revolvers?"
"Count "em; two," answered Ellis.
"Gimme one," said the visitor, helping himself to a long-barreled .45.
"Here! That"s for Hal Surtaine," protested Ellis.
"Not by a jug-ful! He"s too hot-headed. Besides, can he afford to be in it if there _should_ be any serious trouble? Think of the paper!"
"You"re right there," agreed Ellis, struck by the keen sense of this view. "If they could lay a killing at his door, even in self-defense--"
"Pree-cisely! Whereas, I don"t intend to shoot unless I have to, and probably not then."
They explained the wisdom of this procedure to Hal, who reluctantly admitted it, agreeing to leave the weapons in the hands of Dr. Elliot and McGuire Ellis.
"Put Ellis here in this window. I"ll hold the fort yonder." He pointed across the s.p.a.ce to the reference room in the opposite L. "Nine times out of ten a mob don"t really--" He stopped abruptly, his face stiffening with surprise, and some other emotion, which Hal for the moment failed to interpret. Following the direction of his glance, the two other men turned. Dr. Surtaine, suave and smiling, was advancing across the floor.
"Ellis, how are you? Good-evening, Dr. Elliot. Ah! Pistols?"
"Yes. Have one?" invited Ellis smoothly.
"I brought one with me." He tugged at his pocket, whence emerged a cheap and shiny weapon. Hal shuddered, recognizing it. It was the revolver which Milly Neal had carried.
"So you"ve heard?" asked Ellis.
"Ten minutes ago. I haven"t any idea it will amount to much, but I thought I ought to be here in case of danger."
Dr. Elliot grunted. Ellis, suggesting that they take a look at the other defense, tactfully led him away, leaving father and son together. They had not seen each other since the Emergency Health Committee meeting.
Something of the quack"s glossy jauntiness faded out of his bearing as he turned to Hal.
"Boy-ee," he began diffidently, "there"s been a pretty bad mistake."
"There"s been worse than that," said Hal sadly.
"About Milly Neal. I thought--I thought it was you that got her into trouble."
"Why? For G.o.d"s sake, why?"
"Don"t be too hard on me," pleaded the other. "I"d heard about the road-house. And then, what she said to you. It all fitted in. Hale put me right. Boy-ee, I can sleep again, now that I know it wasn"t you."
The implication caught at Hal"s throat.
"Why, Dad," he said lamely, "if you"d only come to me and asked--"
"Somehow I couldn"t. I was waiting for you to tell me." He slid his big hand over Hal"s shoulder, and clutched him in a sudden, jerky squeeze, his face averted.
"Now, that"s off our minds," he said, in a loud and hearty voice. "We can--"
"Wait a minute. Father, you saw the story in the "Clarion,"--the story of Milly"s death?"
"Yes, I saw that."
"Well?"
"I suppose you did what you thought was right, Boy-ee."
"I did what I had to do. I hated it."
"I"m glad to know that much, anyway."
"But I"d do it again, exactly the same."
The Doctor turned troubled eyes on his son. "Hasn"t there been enough judging of each other between you and me, Boy-ee?" he asked sorrowfully.
In wretched uncertainty how to meet this appeal, Hal hesitated. He was saved from decision by the return of McGuire Ellis.
"No movement yet from the enemy"s camp," he reported. "I just had a telephone from Hale"s club."
"Perhaps they won"t come, after all," surmised Hal.