An Oregon Girl: A Tale of American Life in the New West
Page 17
CHAPTER XI.
Suddenly Sam became all attention, for he heard the voice of Mrs.Harris, who then reappeared with an open book in her hand.
"The work is entitled 'Chesterfieldian Deportment,' by Garrilus Gibbs,Ph.D. D. D., Now, Sam, I desire your strict attention to thisparagraph," and she read from the book.
"'Nothing so militates against the first impression of a gentleman asingratitude for a special service rendered; for example'"--and shelooked at Sam very significantly, as she lowered the book, "His Gracewas so solicitous about your hurt that, regardless of convenience andalso of prior appointments, he hastened to make a personal call,rather than use the 'phone."
"Particularly so," Sam added, provoked to grin, "when a right prettyand wealthy maid is in the corral. Eh, aunty?"
"That is my lord's prerogative, but I shall permit of no digression,"she severely remarked. "To continue--'nothing to mind so convincinglyproclaims the ignorance of an ill-bred commoner than vulgar liberty inthe presence of a peer of England's realm!' You follow me?"
"I guess I do, aunty," Sam replied, with his characteristic sidemovement of the head, and then, as he stood in an expectant attitude,carelessly fingered, with both hands, his watch chain.
"Sam, stop fidgeting with your watch chain. It is characteristic of anervous gawk. The very reverse of good form and quite unbecoming awell-bred, polite gentleman."
"All right, aunty, fire away." And Sam's eyes twinkled mischievously,as his hands fell by his side.
"In order that the house of Harris shall not be defamed through an actof discourtesy to one of its guests, I insist, first of all, that yougive me an example of your expression of gratitude to his Lordship forhis great humanitarian act and kindness to you in your hour ofinsensibility."
"Ea--ah! Eh!" ejaculated Sam in laughing surprise, but much as hedisliked to comply, he felt there was no use trying to dodge theissue.
His aunt was determined and experience had taught him that in order toretain the indulgence of the "best and fondest aunt on earth," adiscreet concurrence in her whims was imperative. So with an agreeablesmile, he added, "All right, aunty, here goes."
"For the purpose of approach, you may address me as 'my lord,'"interjected Mrs. Harris.
"Ha! That's easier, aunty," and a smile of satisfaction spread overhis face.
"Proceed!" exclaimed his aunt, sententiously.
"I beg to express to your lordship"--
"Sam!" said Mrs. Harris, interrupting him, "you have omitted the verypith and essence of initiatory greeting."
"Ea--ha! How?" exclaimed Sam, surprised.
"By neglecting to make obeisance."
"To you, aunty?"
"To me. Now, Sam, beware of shyness. Bow naturally and with unaffectedease."
"All ready?" inquired Sam.
"Proceed!"
With that he bowed--bowed with a charm of grace that brought a look ofpleased surprise from Mrs. Harris. It was evident she was alreadymollified.
"I beg your lordship will permit me the honor personally to express myappreciation, and to tender to you my heartfelt thanks for your kindservices to me last night."
The smile of unaffected pleasure that brightened his face, at theknowledge that his aunt was pleased, assisted him wonderfully throughthe ordeal, for such he considered it.
"My compliments, Sam!" exclaimed Mrs. Harris, who appeared immenselypleased.
"Aw--deuced well delivered, don't che know!"
They turned and beheld Rutley and Hazel standing in the doorway.
Sam's chagrin was very great, and conscious of his inability toconceal his disgusted facial expression, turned aside and muttered,"Wouldn't that fizz you?"
Mrs. Harris was evidently much gratified, for she pointedly remarked,"Your lordship must now concede that our boy was not intentionallyrude."
As for Sam, his vexation was great, and though he discreetly keptsilence, the hot blood reddened his face perceptibly. He hadunwittingly humbled himself to a man, who, he felt instinctively, washis enemy.
Just what brought Rutley and Hazel to the doorway in time to hearSam's expression of thanks was never explained. But it may be presumedhe had some announcement to make which the unexpected apology from Samhad made unnecessary.
Its effect on Rutley was instantaneous, for his frigidity melted assnow beneath a summer sun. The monocle came down from his eye and agracious, condescending smile overspread his face.
"I am very sorry the accident happened, and I beg you to believe Ihave been deeply concerned about your hurt."
"We are sure your lordship has suffered great mental anguish over theunfortunate affair," responded Mrs. Harris, relieved by Rutley'scondescension.
"Late yesterday evening," he went on, "I received information that achild resembling Dorothy, and accompanied by a lady whose face wasveiled, were seen entering a certain residence out near the park,"explained Rutley, continuing. "I beg you to understand that Ientertain a deep interest in the fate of the child, and since theriver has not yielded up its secret, and the voice of scandal is rifein innuendoes, I immediately set out to investigate.
"Unsuccessful, I had passed along the road and was returning, no doubtat higher speed than justified by the darkness of the night. Absorbedin meditation, I must have temporarily been negligent of propervigilance, when to my horror, the form of a man suddenly loomed up afew paces directly ahead."
"Dear me, how unfortunate!" exclaimed Mrs. Harris, shivering.
"Impossible to stop the swift moving machine, in the short space thatseparated us, I swerved to the right.
"At that moment the man must have discovered me, for he, too, sprangto the right. The impact was inevitable. I hastened to the unfortunateone's assistance, and you may appreciate my amazement when Irecognized my friend, your own relative. Of course, I conveyed himhome at once."
"How very good of you," said Hazel, with admiring eyes.
"We shall never be able sufficiently to thank your lordship," addedMrs. Harris, "and we hope that our dear boy will not expose himself toso great a danger again."
As to what Sam thought of the explanation, he kept silent;nevertheless he turned half around and would have whistledsignificantly had he not at that moment checked himself, for fear ofagain embarrassing his aunt.
It was at this moment Virginia entered the room, insistently usheredin by Mr. Harris, who, profuse in politeness, said:
"Please do me the honor to be seated, for I know you must befatigued."
But Virginia, on discovering Rutley, seemed to be suddenly overcomewith a timidity quite foreign to her usual self-possession, and shrankaway as if to leave the room. Observing her evident embarrassment and,of course, ignorant of the true cause, Mr. Harris concluded she hadconceived him as declining her request, and he at once, in aconfidential whisper, attempted to reassure her.
"I can accommodate you with a check for five thousand today, and morein a week."
"Oh, I--I thank you very much," she replied, and though her nervousnesswas apparent, she managed to control herself. Mr. Harris gently ledher to a seat, remarking in a whisper, "I'll write the check for youat once."
She turned upon him very grateful eyes, but almost instantly a shadowcrept across her face as she said, "The security I have to offer----"
Mr. Harris looked pained, and lifting his hand, he interrupted herwith, "Don't, please don't let the security trouble you."
Again Virginia's eyes unconsciously fastened upon Rutley, who at thesame time was regarding her with a keen inquiring gaze. It was thefirst time they had met since the night of Thorpe's quarrel withCorway, and although Virginia had resolved to cast off all fear of histhreat of incriminating disclosures, she nevertheless, while in hispresence, felt a subtle influence change her rebellious dispositioninto a timorous apprehension. The sensation was so strange, so creepy,and at the same time so convincing, that she arose from the seat andmuttered in broken accents, "I--I'll await you outside, Mr. Harris. Theair in this room is--is so close."
"Virginia, dear! Don't go! Most interesting. My lord has just relatedhow last night he accidentally knocked Sam down near the City Park."
Virginia unconsciously repeated, "Last night, he accidentally knockedSam down, near the City Park."
The information was so startling and her curiosity so keen that shestared at Rutley and Sam alternately, while they in turn stared ateach other and at her most significantly.
Mrs. Harris observed the wonderment her information had created, butwithout troubling her easy brains to penetrate the meaning, added,after due pause, "Yes, dear--a bandaged head, as you see, was theresult."
"It was very dark, near midnight, and his lordship was driving anautomobile fast."
Heedless of Mrs. Harris' further remarks and so absorbed in an effortto solve the puzzle that Virginia thought:
"What business had he out there at that time of night? Did he know Iwas there? And Sam there, too! It must have been he who followedme,"--and she shot such a swift meaning glance at him that had hecaught it the effect must have been disconcerting.
"Queer, how late at night young men carry on their larks nowadays,"broke in Mr. Harris with fine humor.
Mrs. Harris was quick to correct him. "Dear me! James, it was onurgent business, no less than a search for Dorothy, but unfortunatelyunsuccessful."
"I myself am also inclined to the belief Dorothy was stolen. No doubta demand will soon be made for her ransom," said Mr. Harris.
"Such a notion seems to me as far-fetched, as it is unlikely, for I donot believe the family has an enemy in the world," promptly rejoinedMrs. Harris.
"Vague insinuations of kidnapping find credence through theestrangement of the parents being given publicity," suggested Rutley,in a soft, serious, yet bland manner, which brought from Hazel anexplosive reply, "I am sure Constance had no knowledge of it."
"Impossible for Constance to plot at an abduction of her own child,and as for John Thorpe, his grief is too great to permit the faintestsuspicion to rest on him," suavely admonished Mrs. Harris warmly.
"John!" gasped Virginia. She was the first to see Thorpe standing inthe vestibule, the doors of which had been left open. John Thorpe hadentered so quietly that none in the room saw him approach, and theirconversation at the moment was so concentrated upon the mystery ofDorothy's disappearance that none of them heard his weary footfallsdraw near. He was careworn and haggard.
If John Thorpe felt any emotion on seeing Virginia and hearing herstartled voice, he gave no sign. Unmoved, he coldly let his achingeyes rest on her, and then he lifted them to Mr. Harris. In that briefspace of time, Rutley saw in Virginia's abashed eagerness to addressher brother, a shadow of peril threaten him. The situation called forimmediate action. He had previously noted his magnetic power over herand at once brought into requisition the wonderful "nerve" distinctlyhis heritage, and which had so often befriended him in moments ofdanger. Under cover of the fresh interest manifested in Mr. Thorpe'sappearance, he coolly, quietly, and without the least hesitation,quickly placed himself beside her, and whispered in her ear: "Beware!"
His tone was so menacing, though concealed by an unctious personality,that Virginia shrank from him, yet with the low, rebelliousexclamation: "Scoundrel!"
Nevertheless, she timidly deemed it discreet to arrange a meeting withJohn alone.
Mr. Harris silently grasped Mr. Thorpe by the hand. They had beenclose friends, socially and in business affairs for many years, andthe hopeless, haggard, careless appearance of his long time friendtouched Mr. Harris deeply.
"Poor fellow," he said, sympathetically. "You look all in."
"Sleepless nights and wearisome days have doubtless produced results,"languidly replied Mr. Thorpe. "Mr. Harris, I have come to beg yourhospitality for an hour's rest."
"Welcome to 'Rosemont,' thrice welcome, my dear friend. I shall have aquiet room prepared at once. Make yourself comfortable for a fewmoments until I return," and the energetic Mr. Harris immediately setout on his mission.
"Dear me!" commented Mrs. Harris, "If we could but unravel the mysteryof Dorothy's disappearance, what a relief it would be. Do you think itpossible the child was abducted, Mr. Thorpe?"
"Would to God I could believe it true," he gravely replied.
"I am loath to believe that the mother was aware of it," interposedRutley, in his soft, lazy, drawling voice, "but"----
Surprised, Mrs. Harris promptly interrupted him with: "Dear me, haveyou heard that Constance had intrigued for her child's disappearance?"
Rutley fixed his gaze on Virginia, then transferred it to John Thorpeas he falteringly replied to Mrs. Harris' question: "Circumstances ofa--a suspicious character tend to--a--implicate her."
A dead silence followed. So silent, that Sam suddenly cast an alarmedlook at Virginia, as though he feared she had heard him hiss--"Thecontemptible sissy!"--and was surprised that no response met his silentthought, either by look or word.
Virginia was speechless. Yet she was bursting to tell them Dorothy wasalive, but in captivity. She remembered the terrible threat made bythe Italian in the park. It burned into her brain and made her tremblewith anxiety lest the secret should get out and the child's lifejeopardized thereby.
But, how to deny the vile lie that Constance was a party to thekidnapping? It was a question that baffled completely all theingenuity that had aided her in other situations.
While she was racking her brains for some guiding thought, to silenceslanderous tongues, she heard John Thorpe very gravely say: "My lordmust be mistaken."
It was such sweet relief to know that he did not believe Constance wasguilty of the crime that Virginia unconsciously exclaimed: "ThankHeaven!"
After John Thorpe had expressed his disbelief in his wife's guilt, heslowly turned on his heel, intending to leave the room, for theconversation was painful to him and the company too closely associatedwith his unhappiness, for the quiet rest he so much needed. He hadscarcely turned toward the door when he was halted by Mr. Harris, whohad just entered from the hall, and announced a restful room inreadiness for his immediate use.
To his surprise, John Thorpe turned and wearisomely said: "I thankyou, Mr. Harris, but an important matter that I have neglected hasjust come to my mind. I beg to apologize for the needless trouble Ihave caused you." And he turned slowly and went toward the door.
Virginia perceived that unless immediate steps were taken, heropportunity to arrange a meeting with John would be lost. It was,therefore, with a startled cry of disappointment that she addressedhim: "John! I have something"--she hesitated.
Thorpe halted on the threshold and half turned around. Aghast,Virginia arose from her seat, when Rutley drawled out in his mostsuave accents:
"Miss Thorpe is manifestly fatigued from over-exertion," and instantlytaking her by the arm, led her reluctantly, and in timidity, to a seaton a divan, the end of which he wheeled forward, ostensibly to giveher a better view of the lawn, then inundated with sunshine, but inreality to avert her eyes from the face of her brother.
John Thorpe gazed inquiringly for a second and then, with head bent,slowly and gravely left the house.
Mr. Harris started to accompany Thorpe, to press him to rest awhile,but on recalling his obligation to Virginia, checked himself andturned into the library.
Sam's indignation at the vile, unkind thrust made on the character ofa bereaved woman, spoke eloquently in his blazing eyes, neverthelessout of regard for his aunt's wishes he closed his teeth tightly insilence, but on seeing the pseudo lord's insistent familiarity withVirginia, and noting her strange hesitant submission as he rather morethan familiarly escorted her to the divan, Sam's rage burst throughhis discretion and his manly, straight-forwardness asserted itself, inutter disregard of his aunt's warnings.
Rutley had evidently thrown out the base insinuation as a feeler, butthe manner in which Sam met it--met it squarely in the "Wild West way,"quickly disabused his mind of any
idea he may have had that Constancewas friendless.
"Sir!" Sam said; "I know but one little word that fitly characterizesyour insinuation concerning Mrs. Thorpe," and unwilling to resist thenatural gravity of his feet toward Rutley, sidled up close to him,and, with a quiver of contempt in his voice, finished: "And down inTexas they taught me to brand it 'a damned lie'!"
Sam was rewarded in a manner he little anticipated, and by the womanwho had heretofore despised him, for with eyes that sparkled withadmiration and lips that parted in a smile of glad surprise, sheinvoluntarily murmured: "Splendid, Sam!" His silly, boyish side hadvanished, and in its place his true, strong, sterling character stoodrevealed. In that one moment he knew that he had won from her atribute of esteem, but he did not at that time realize that it was along step toward the consummation of his devout desire--to win herheart.
If an electric bolt had at that moment descended from the clear,ethereal blue, and wrecked the house, Mrs. Harris' consternation couldnot have been greater.
"Oh!" she faintly gasped. "Dear me! Oh, Sam, how could you!" and thenshe staggered almost to collapse in his arms.
For a moment Rutley was astounded, then drawing himself up in a poseof statuesque haughtiness, again most studiously adjusted his monocleto his eye and directed at alert Sam a stony stare of ineffabledisdain. Then he languidly drawled, without a muscle of his white,bloodless face moving:
"Aw, it's deuced draughty, don't-che know!"
A few minutes later Mr. Harris beckoned Virginia into the library.After delivering her the check he had promised, they together went outin search for John Thorpe, but he had disappeared.
Had they looked more closely and further up the hillside, they mighthave seen a haggard man sitting in the shadow of a fir, apparentlyweary of the world, and pondering on the vicissitudes of life.