CHAPTER XXI
RUTH INTERCEDES
The two girls did not see Roberto that day, nor for several daysfollowing. The hospital authorities did not think it best to allow himto be excited even in a mild way.
They sent in such delicacies as the nurse said he could have, and TonyFoyle was bribed by Helen to get a report from the hospital every dayabout the young Gypsy.
The girls kept very quiet about the patient in the hospital. Their matesknew only that Helen and Ruth had been driving with Mr. Cameron when theboy fell out of the tree. They did not dream that the victim of theaccident had any possible connection with the pearl necklace that NettieParsons' aunt had lost!
Helen kept her father informed of the progress of Roberto's case, and inreturn he wrote Helen that the detectives were confident of reaching oldQueen Zelaya and her tribe.
"But if we could only get Roberto to talk!" sighed Ruth.
"Why, Ruth Fielding! if the poor fellow has been made speechless bythat fall, how _can_ he talk?"
"I know, but----"
"Don't you believe it is _so_?"
"Why--yes," admitted Ruth. "Of course, he would have no reason forrefusing to speak. And they say he has a hard time making themunderstand what he wants, for he doesn't know how to write. Poor fellow!I suppose he never realized before, that the art of writing was of anyuse to _him_."
In a week or so the girls were allowed to go to the ward where Robertolay. Helen carried an armful of good things for the Gypsy lad to eat,but Ruth remembered that he had not cared much for delicacies, and shecarried picture papers and a great armful of brilliant fallflowers--some picked by herself in the woods, and the others begged fromTony Foyle.
"Taking flowers to a boy--pshaw!" scoffed Helen. "Why, that shows youhave no brother, Ruthie. Tom wouldn't look at flowers when he's sick."
Ruth believed she had made no mistake. When they approached the bed inwhich Roberto lay, he looked very pale indeed, and the expression ofweariness on his face as he stared out of the distant window, madeRuth's heart ache for the captive wild-boy.
"Here are visitors for you, Robert," said the kindly nurse.
The big, black eyes of the Gypsy boy rolled toward the two girls. Thenhis face lit up and his eyes sparkled. They were fixed eagerly on themass of brilliant blossoms Ruth carried. She scattered the flowers overthe coverlet, and Roberto seized some of them, fairly pressing them tohis lips. He nodded and smiled at the display of Helen's offerings, too,but he could not keep his eyes away from the flowers. He had beenhomesick for his beloved woodlands.
He was still in plaster and could not move much. He did his best to makethe girls understand how welcome they were, but not a sound came fromhis lips.
"A very strange case, indeed," said the doctor in charge, when the girlscame down from the ward. "There seems to be absolutely no reason why hedoes not speak. Apparently no paralysis of the vocal cords. Butspeechless he is. And as he cannot read or write, it is a nuisance."
"It isn't possible that for some reason he doesn't _wish_ to speak?"queried Ruth, doubtfully.
"Why, Ruth! there you go again!" exclaimed Helen. "I never knew you tobe so suspicious."
The doctor laughed. "I think not," he said. "Of course, he might, but hemust be a wonderfully good actor. The next time you come, we shall tryhim."
So on a subsequent call of the two girls at the hospital, the doctorentered the ward at the same time they did and likewise approachedRoberto's bed, only on the opposite side. Ruth had brought more flowers,and the boy was evidently delighted.
"Are you sure you can't speak to me, Roberto?" asked Ruth, softly, as henodded and smiled and clasped the flowers to his breast with his onegood hand.
Roberto shook his head sadly, and his black eyes showed every indicationof sorrow. But of a sudden he jumped, and a spasm of pain crossed hisface. The doctor straightened up and Roberto scowled at him wrathfully.The boy had not uttered a sound.
"I jabbed him with this needle," said the doctor, with disgust. "Yousee, either he has perfect control over himself; or he absolutely cannotspeak. While I was setting his arm and fixing up his smashed ribs, heonly moaned a little."
"Oh!" Helen had gasped, looking at the medical man in some wrath.
"Don't do it again--not for _me_," urged Ruth. "I am sorry I saidanything about it."
"Oh, he isn't seriously injured by _that_," said the surgeon, holding upthe needle. "But I do not think he is 'playing possum.'"
"It isn't possible!" exclaimed Helen, confidently.
"And how long must he lie here?" Ruth asked.
"Oh, in a fortnight he'll be as fine as a fiddle. Of course, he won't beable to use his arm much for several weeks. But the ribs will knit allright. Maybe he can find some light job----"
"We'll see about _that_," Helen interrupted.
"I can see you young ladies are much interested in him," chuckled thedoctor. "And not entirely because he is a handsome, black-eyed rascal,eh?"
Ruth knew that old Tony Foyle, the gardener at Briarwood Hall, wasinterested in the lad. He had gone up to the ward to see Roberto severaltimes, and came away enthusiastic in the Gypsy's praise.
"Sure," said Tony, to Ruth, "he's jist the bye after me hear-r-t.Herself would like him, he's that doomb!"
"Herself" was Tony's wife, who was the cook at Briarwood Hall.
"And the way that boy do be lovin' flowers! Sure, his bed in thehorspital is jest covered wid 'em. He'd be a handy lad to have here tergive me aid, so he would. An' I been tellin' Mis' Tellingham that I needanother helper."
"We'll get him the job, Tony!" cried Ruth, in delight. "I believe hewould like to help around your hothouse and the beds. I'll see."
She interceded with the principal for Roberto, and obtained her promisethat the Gypsy boy should have the job. Then she sounded Robertohimself, and by the way his eyes lit up and he smiled and nodded, Ruthknew he would be delighted to be Tony Foyle's assistant.
"At least," thought Ruth, "I can keep in sight of him for a time.Perhaps he couldn't tell us, anyway, where Queen Zelaya has hiddenherself. But I believe he knows, and I haven't much faith in the resultsthose detectives get."
Roberto mended rapidly. He was soon up and about the ward, when thegirls called. He was less restless than Ruth expected him to be, and hestill signified his intention of coming to help the little old Irishgardener at Briarwood Hall.
"When he recovers his powers of speech," said the doctor, "it will be assuddenly as he lost them. No doubt of that. But it is a most puzzlingcase. I am glad he is not going far from Lumberton. I want to watch theprogress of the affair."
The next day Roberto came to Briarwood.
Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies; Or, The Missing Pearl Necklace Page 21
