CHAPTER XXII
THE MYSTERY
The house was a large one. It covered a great deal of ground althoughit was only one story high. A wide hall ran through the center of themain building, and there were doors to the right and the left. Throughthe first doorway to the right, Patricia made her escape; and, throughit, Roderick Duncan followed her. But he brought up suddenly, theinstant he had crossed the threshold, and stood there, staring.Patricia had passed swiftly ahead of him, and Roderick saw her dropupon her knees beside a couch-bed, whereon a man was lying--and thatman was Richard Morton.
Duncan was too greatly amazed for connected thought, but he wasconscious of the fact that Morton's eyes sought him over the shoulderof Patricia, who knelt beside the couch. He had never thought thatMorton's eyes were quite so expressive. They seemed almost to speak tohim, to wonder at his presence there; but, stranger than all else, toexpress unquestionable pleasure because of his presence. He thoughtit remarkable that Morton did not move; that the man made no effort torise, or to speak; that there was neither smile nor frown upon hiswhite, still face. Then, Patricia's voice broke the spell that wasupon him. She turned, and beckoned to him.
"Come here, Roderick," she said, softly. "Come and speak to Richard.Tell him that you have come all the way out here, by a special train,to marry me, and that you have brought a minister along with you toperform the ceremony. Come, Roderick, come. He will be made very happyby the news." She turned toward the stricken man, again, and added:"Won't you, Richard?"
Slowly the lids dropped for an instant over those strangely brillianteyes, and, when they were raised again, the eyes seemed to smile atRoderick; but there was no other emotion visible about the prostrateman.
"I have not told you about him, Roderick," Patricia said, rising toher feet, "but I will do so now, in his presence. He wishes it so; doyou not, Richard?"
Again, those eyes closed for an instant, and Roderick understood thatthe gesture, if gesture it could be called, meant an affirmative.
"Richard wishes you to know all the truth about him," she continued."I have promised him, many times, that some day I would tell you. Hemeant to kill himself that night, when he drove his roadster away fromCedarcrest. He guided his car, purposely, into the mass of rocks atthe roadside. I found him there. Patrick O'Toole, who is devoted tome, was with me, you know. We saw the wreck, and stopped. Then, wefound Richard. Oh, it was awful. I thought he was dead, and I believedthat I was his murderer. I still think that I was the unconsciouscause of it all, although he will not have it so. I was moaning overhim, when Mr. Radnor--you remember him?--found us. He took us to asanatorium that he knew about, where he said there was a good doctor;and so it proved. I forgot all about Jack Gardner's car, but later Isent Patrick back after it."
Morton's eyes began to wink rapidly, and Roderick called Patricia'sattention to the fact.
"Yes; I know that I am getting ahead of my story," she said, as if sheperfectly understood what the winking meant. "Richard was like a deadman when we arrived at the sanatorium--all save his eyes, and the factthat he breathed. He was completely paralyzed; only his eyes, and thelids over them, retained the power of motion. He was terriblyinjured. The doctor said he would not die, but that he would nevermove a muscle of his body again, no matter how long he might live. Thepower of speech was gone, too. Only his eyes lived; the rest ofhim--all but his eyes and his great heart--was dead."
Morton's eyes began to wink rapidly, again.
"Yes, I shall tell it all; only, let me do it in my own way," Patriciasaid to him. "Mr. Radnor told me that he had given fictitious namesfor both of us to the doctor. At first, I was offended because of it,but later, I was glad. The doctor permitted me to assist in thenursing--I ... I told him that I was Richard's wife. Mr. Radnor hadalready given that impression. I did not deny it; I made it moreemphatic, in order that I might take the direction of affairs. WhenMr. Radnor went away, he said he would return the following day; but Idid not want him to do that, and so, when the next day came, Ipersuaded the doctor to telephone to him that he must not come. Also,when Mr. Radnor took his departure, I sent Patrick with him, to carefor Jack's car. I told him to deliver it at the garage, and then toreturn to me, at the sanatorium, for further orders. But, when hecame back, he told me he had abandoned the car in the streets of NewYork, knowing that it would be found and claimed, and wishing to avoidthe necessity of answering questions. Am I telling the storysatisfactorily now, Richard?"
Slowly, the speaking eyes drooped their assent, and she went on:
"At the end of a few days, Richard was much better of his hurts. Therewas no change in the other condition--the one that still holds him sohelpless. I seemed to have a positive genius for understanding him,and he made me know--you see, I kept asking questions till he made thepositive or the negative sign. I hit upon that idea because once,Roderick, you made me read 'The Count of Monte Cristo,' and Iremembered old Nortier--Well, Richard made me understand severalthings. One was that he wished to come here, as soon as possible;another was that, most emphatically, he did not wish to have any ofthe old friends and acquaintances in New York know what had happenedto him. Fortunately, he had a large sum of money in his pockets--Whatare you insisting about now, Richard?" she concluded, with a smile,perceiving that the eyelids of the stricken man were working rapidly.He looked steadily at her, and she shrugged her shoulders.
"Very well," she said, "I understand you. Roderick, he wishes me totell you that he had the money with him because he intended to runaway with me, that evening, and that he came very near to doing so. Hewants me to tell you that he was a brute, and everything bad and meanand low and--there! I hope you are satisfied, Richard."
The eyes slowly closed and opened again.
"Richard had a large sum with him. I, also, had a considerable amountwith me. I had had some thought of running away from all of you, andhad prepared myself for such an emergency. Well, when I knew whatRichard wanted, I took command of things. I did not consult him atall, but went directly ahead, in my own way. I always did that, youknow, Roderick. I engaged a private car and a special train to bringus here; engaged them in the name of--in the assumed name, you know.One week from the day we entered the sanatorium, we left it again,went aboard the special train, and came here. Patrick came with us. Herefused to leave.
"Oh, yes; I am forgetting something. You needn't wink so hard,Richard. I shall tell all of it. Richard protested with his eyesagainst my accompanying him. I do believe that he never once stoppedblinking them, all the way out here. He would have said horrid thingsto me, if he could have spoken. I think that I was sometimes reallyglad he could not do so, fearing what he might have said. But nobodyelse could understand him; I could, and did. He was utterly helpless,and it was my fault that he was so. Yes, it was, and is, Richard, sostop protesting. I bribed the doctor at the sanatorium, to say nothingat all about us, and above all to keep every bit of information awayfrom Mr. Radnor. Then, we came here.
"At first, it did not occur to me that I should remain, but, when Iunderstood how entirely dependent Richard was upon me, I had to stay.Think of what he had been, Roderick, and of the condition to which Ihad brought him! It seemed a very little thing for me to do, to stayhere and be his wife--Yes, that is what I decided to do; only, hewould not let me. Just think of it! I have begged and pleaded with himto marry me, and he has refused."
Again, the eyes began a violent winking, and Patricia, smilingly,said:
"Oh, yes. He wants me to tell you that he has begged and pleaded, justas hard, for me to return to New York, and leave him here, helplessand alone, and that I have been just as contrary about this, as he wasabout the other. There! Can you imagine our quarreling, Roderick?Well, just before you appeared here, this evening, we had been havinga violent quarrel. I was really angry at Richard, when I went out uponthe veranda--and met you. He had ordered me out of the house. He hadsaid, as plainly as he could look it, that he didn't want me here;that I was only a trouble to him; that I made him unhappy byr
emaining; that he would be much better in every way if I were gone.He ... he made me understand that my ... my good name was in question;that I would be talked about. I confess that I had never thought of itin that light, before. I asked him again to marry me, and let meremain; but he refused. Then, I left him, in a huff, declaring that hecouldn't drive me away. And then"--she turned directly toward Roderickthis time, and held out both her hands--"I almost ran into your arms,Roderick."
"Do it now, Patricia," he replied, taking her hands, and drawing hercloser.
"I can't. You are much too near to me. But--"
She did not finish what she was about to say; and Roderick held hertightly in his embrace for just one glorious moment, while the eyes ofthe stricken man glowed upon them with unspeakable joy in their livingdepths.
Patricia drew slowly and reluctantly away from Roderick's embrace, andonce more got upon her knees beside the couch.
"You were right, Richard, after all," she said. "I think it would havekilled me if I had found Roderick again, after I was the wife ofanother. You were right, dear one. You have always been right. Buteverything is made clear, now. Roderick is here. He loves me. You arepleased that he is here, and that he does love me, and my cup ofhappiness is filled to the brim. Speak to him, Roderick."
"Dick Morton, I think you are the bravest man I ever knew," saidRoderick, stepping forward and permitting his hand to rest for amoment upon Morton's forehead. "I want you to be my friend, as long asyou live, and I want Patricia to continue to care for you, just aslong as you need her. We will go back East in a day or so, and youshall go with us."
The eyes winked a vehement negative, but Roderick continued:
"Oh, you'll think differently about it, after a bit of thought. Inthe meantime, how would it suit you to have a wedding, right here, inyour room, before your eyes? Eh? He says 'Yes' to that, Patricia."
It was twenty-four hours later. Patricia and Roderick Duncan had justbeen united in marriage by the Reverend Dr. Moreley, and had turnedabout on the platform which projected from the front of the veranda toreceive the congratulations of their witnesses, who were made up ofthe entire outfit of Three-Star ranch. The couch of the invalid wasbeside them, a cheer was still ringing in the air, when twodust-covered horsemen rode upon the scene.
They came to a sudden halt when it was discovered what they hadintruded upon, but Burke Radnor, never at a loss for words, jumpedfrom the saddle and came swiftly forward. The bride saw him,recognized him instantly, and smiled. Then, she beckoned to him.
"Come up here, Mr. Radnor," she called. "You were very good to me whenI needed a friend, and I want to thank you for your silence, sincethen." Radnor flushed. "Please shake hands with my husband, andremember that I want both of you to forget your old differences. Thereshall be nothing but happiness here, now. And this is our dear friend,Mr. Richard Morton. He cannot shake hands with you, but he can lookhis pleasure at greeting you."
"How are you, Radnor?" said Roderick. "I think, we'd better followMrs. Duncan's advice, and be friends; eh? I think I know why you came,and now I'll see to it that you have a good story to wire to yourpaper, to-night. It will beat the one you hoped to get, all hollow.I'll get you to one side and alone, presently, and tell you all aboutit. Listen to those cowpunchers cheer, will you! But, I'll tell youwhat, it isn't a patch on the cheer that is in my heart."
"You have won the first woman in the land, Duncan," said Radnor,shaking hands heartily.
"The first woman? No, the last. It takes the last woman to do things,Radnor."
"And the best; eh?"
"Both, old chap."
THE END
=BOOKS ON NATURE STUDY BY CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS=
=Handsomely bound in cloth. Price, 75 cents per volume, postpaid.=
The Last Woman Page 22
