Part 56 (1/2)
Dore went to Lindaberry, without a thought of fear, crying his name:
”Garry, it's I--Dodo!”
He turned, striving to recognize her through the blurred phantasmagoria of the week.
”Who?”
He drew his hand across his face, bending down a little, staring at her.
At the moment she despaired of his recognizing her, suddenly he stiffened up, made an attempt to readjust his clothes, and doffed his hat. She gave a cry of horror: across his forehead was a seam of blood.
”You're hurt!”
”'S nothing,” he said, drawing a long breath, and his jaw growing rigid with the attempt to recover his control. He relaxed his grip on the collar of the inert policeman, who flattened out against the trampled snow. ”This little misunshtanding--gen'lman spoke rather rude.
Sorry--little mussed. 'Scuse me.”
The fear that others might arrive and find him thus, the dread of an arrest--a trial and publicity--gave her a new will; for, strangely enough, even before his wild demeanor she had no fear.
”I've come, as I promised,” she said quickly. ”I'm going to take you home. Come, Garry!”
”Any one else?” he asked, shrinking back.
”My maid,” she said quickly.
He bowed and gave her his arm to the automobile. At the door he placed her inside, saying, with careful courtesy:
”Sit outside. Thank you. Not fit. All right!”
Aware of his condition, by some tremendous exertion of his will, he had flung back the lethargy that held his senses, and recovered his dignity.
Dodo, in the car, was thinking rapidly. The first glance at his eyes and quivering lips had told her how serious was the crisis. Everything else disappeared before this insistent need of her--romance, intrigues, calculation, or care of what others might think.
”Ida, it's not true what I said,” she said rapidly. ”He's not my cousin, but some one whom I would give my life to save. I'm taking him to his house. You must come in with me--until we can get a doctor. I can't leave him. If you get a chance, tell Brennon it's my brother; he mustn't know.”
She had antic.i.p.ated a struggle to get Lindaberry to his rooms; but, to her surprise, he walked from the car without wavering, and up the flight of stairs to his apartment. The two girls, leaving Brennon below with orders to wait, followed quickly. In a few moments his valet, hastily awakened, had let them in. He was a young fellow, strong and intelligent, and he gave a cry of relief at the sight of the master thus returned.
”Dodo!”
[Ill.u.s.tration: She gave a cry of horror]
”Here I am!” she said quickly, touching Lindaberry's arm.
”Oh!” He looked at her, and then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, imbued with the need of taking command, said: ”Pretty bad; can't tell what happened. Doctor--Lampson--quick!”
She turned calmly to the valet, feeling a deep delight in her control of the situation.
”You know Doctor Lampson? Good! My car's down-stairs. Go and bring him immediately!”
She returned to Lindaberry.
”Garry, lie on the couch! You've got a scratch; I want to bind it up.