CHAPTER IV
DESPONDENCY
Startled and alarmed the two girls hastened to the side of theirfather. They flitted helplessly about him for a moment, like pretty,distressed birds. As for Mr. DeVere, his hand went to his achingthroat as though to clutch the malady that had so suddenly grippedhim, and tear it out. For none realized as keenly as he what theattack meant. It was as though some enemy had struck at his verylife, for to him his voice was his only means of livelihood.
"Oh, Father!" gasped Ruth. "What is it? Speak! Tell us! What shall wedo?"
"It--it's--" but his voice trailed off into a hoarse gurgle, andsigns of distress and pain appeared on his face.
"Oh, tell us! Tell us!" begged Ruth, clasping her hands, her blueeyes filling with tears.
"Can't you see he can't speak!" exclaimed Alice, a bit sharply. Shehad a better grasp of the situation in this emergency than had hersister. "Something has happened to him! Was it dust in your throat onthe street?" asked Alice. "Don't answer--wait, Dad! I have somelozenges. I'll get them for you!"
She was in and out of her room on the instant, with a box of troches,one of which she held out to her father. He had not moved sincesinking into the chair, but stared straight ahead--and the futurethat he saw was not a pleasant one to contemplate.
"Take this, Father," begged Alice, slipping her arm about him, as shesank to the floor at his feet. "This will help your throat. Don't youremember what a terrible cold I had? These helped me a lot. Takeone!"
Mr. DeVere shook his head slightly, and seemed about to refuse thelozenge. But a glance at his daughters' worried faces evidently madehim change his mind. He slipped the tablet into his mouth, and thenstraightened up in his chair. Whatever happened to him he knew hemust make a brave fight for the sake of the girls. It would not do toshow the white feather before them, even though his heart was quakingwith the terrible fear that had come upon him.
"What happened, Dad?" asked Ruth. "Can't you tell us? Oh, I am soworried!"
He tried to smile at her, but it was a pathetic attempt. Then, withan effort, he spoke--so hoarsely that they could barely understandhim.
"It--it's my voice," he whispered, gratingly. "Some sort of affectionof my vocal chords. You'd better get a doctor. I--I must be better byto-morrow."
"Poor Daddy!" whispered Ruth. "I'll go down stairs and telephone forDr. Haldon."
"No--not him--some--some other physician. We--we haven't paid Dr.Haldon's bill," said Mr. DeVere quickly, and this time he spoke moredistinctly.
"Oh, you're better!" cried Alice in delight, clapping her hands. "Iknew my medicine would help you, Dad! It's good; isn't it?"
He nodded and smiled at her, but there was little of conviction inhis manner, had the girls but noticed it.
"I know just how it is," went on Alice, and her tone did as much asanything to relieve the strain they were all under. "I caught coldonce, and I got hoarse so suddenly that I was afraid I was going tobe terribly ill. But it passed off in a day or two. Yours will, Dad!"
Mr. DeVere tried to act as though he believed it, but there was adespondent look on his face.
"I'll slip over and ask Mrs. Dalwood the name of a good doctor,"offered Alice. "It's too bad we can't pay Dr. Haldon, but we will assoon as we can. Mrs. Dalwood may know of a good throat specialistnearby."
"Yes, you had better go," said Mr. DeVere in a low voice. "I must beable to go on with the rehearsals to-morrow."
Alice fairly flew across the hall, and the tragic little story wassoon told. Mrs. Dalwood, fortunately, did know of a good doctor inthe vicinity. He had attended Billy several times, and, while notexactly a throat specialist, was to be depended upon.
"Then I'll go downstairs and telephone for him," said Alice. "Poordaddy is so worried."
"I'll go over and see what I can do," volunteered Mrs. Dalwood. "Ihave an old-fashioned cough medicine I used for the children."
She took a bottle with her as she slipped across the hall to the flatof her neighbors. Russ went with her, anxious to do what he could.
But Mr. DeVere shook his head as the bottle of simple home remedy wasproffered.
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Dalwood," he said hoarsely. "It is verykind of you, but I'm afraid to try it. I have had this troublebefore, and----"
"You have, Father?" cried Ruth in surprise. "You never told us aboutit."
"I will--after the doctor comes," he said in a low voice.
Alice came back from using the telephone of the neighbor on the floorbelow to say that Dr. Rathby would soon be over.
"And then we'll have you all right again, Daddy!" she said, and themerry, laughing light that had disappeared came back into her eyes.
It was rather anxious waiting for the physician, but when he came hischeery, breezy presence seemed to fill them all with hope. He tookMr. DeVere into a room by himself, and made a careful examination.The girls could hear the young doctor's sharp, quick questioning, andtheir father's hoarse, mumbled replies. Then followed a period ofnervous silence, broken by more talk.
Presently physician and patient came out Dr. Rathby looked serious,but he tried to smile. Mr. DeVere looked serious--but he did notsmile. That was the difference.
"Well?" asked Ruth, with a sharp intaking of her breath.
"Nothing serious--at least, so far," was the doctor's verdict. "Ithink we have taken it in time. There is considerable inflammation ofthe vocal chords, and they have suffered a partial paralysis."
"As bad as that?" gasped Alice.
"Oh, that isn't half as bad as it sounds!" laughed Dr. Rathby. "Ihave had cases worse than this. Now, I'll leave you some medicine tobe used in an atomizer, as a spray, Mr. DeVere, and I want you--infact as a doctor I order you--to speak as little as possible. Don'tuse your voice at all, if you can help it--at least not for severaldays."
He turned to write a prescription, but was startled at the hoarse cryof expostulation from Mr. DeVere.
"But, doctor!" exclaimed the actor, "I--I----"
"There, now, I told you not to speak!" chided the physician, withupraised finger.
"But I have to! I'm an actor--I'm rehearsing a new part. I must usemy voice! It's imperative!"
The doctor seemed startled.
"An actor," he said in low tones. "You did not tell me that. I didnot understand ... Hm! Yes!"
He thought deeply for a moment.
"You could not take a rest for a week?" he asked.
"A week? No! I have been 'resting' enough weeks as it is. I must goon with this. I've had it before. It has passed away. Can't you giveme something that will enable me to go on--some medicine that willact quickly? I must be at rehearsal to-morrow."
The doctor shrugged his shoulders as though to clear himself from allblame.
"Well, if you have to--you have to, I suppose," he said. "Iunderstand. I can give you an astringent mixture that will shrink thechords, and may relieve some of the inflammation. It may enable youto go on--but at the risk of permanent injury to your throat."
"Oh!" exclaimed both girls.
"Never mind!" responded Mr. DeVere, hoarsely. "I--I must risk thefuture for the sake of the present. I cannot give up this engagement.I must keep on with the rehearsals. Give me something speedy, if youplease, Doctor. I'll--I'll have to take the chance."
"I am sorry," spoke Dr. Rathby. "But of course I understand. I have amixture that some singers have used with good effect. I'll try it onyou. You can use it several times to-night, and on your way torehearsal stop in at my office in the morning, and I'll swab out yourthroat. That may help some."
"Oh, thank you, Doctor. You don't know what this means to me. I--Ifeel better already."
"I'm afraid it's only temporary relief," returned the physician. "Butthere. Don't worry. Get that filled and see what effect it has. Thencome and see me in the morning."
He wrote the prescription and hurried away, nodding to the girls.
"I'll get it filled," offered Ruth, and she could hardly keep back asigh as she looked at the s
canty supply of money in the householdpurse. As she was going out to the drug store she met Russ in thehallway.
"Is he any better?" the young moving picture operator asked.
"I think so," answered Ruth. "But isn't it too bad? Just wheneverything looked so bright."
"Oh, well, it will come out all right, I'm sure," spoke Russ. "Don'tyou want to come to see our show to-night? We've got some finepictures. I'm going down a little early to get the reels in shape."
"We very seldom go to the 'movies,'" answered Ruth. "Though I haveseen some I liked."
"We have some fine ones," went on Russ.
"Better come on down. I'll get you a pass in!" and he laughedgenially.
"Not this time," answered Ruth gently. "I must get back and helpAlice look after my father. Thank you."
She left him at the corner, and he passed on whistling softly andthinking of many things.
Mr. DeVere seemed better when Ruth got back with the medicine. Andwhen his throat was sprayed he could talk with less effort. But histones were still very husky, and it was evident that unless there wasa great improvement in the morning he would hardly be able to go torehearsal.
"I'm glad the show doesn't open until next week," he said with asmile. "I'd never be able to make myself heard beyond the first threerows. But I'll surely be better by the time we open."
"What did you mean by saying you had this same trouble before, Dad?"asked Alice.
"Well, it did come on me last summer, when I was taking my littlevacation," he replied. "It wasn't quite as bad as this, though."
"You never told us," accused Ruth.
"No, I didn't want to worry you. It passed over, and I'm sure thiswill."
Mr. DeVere spoke little the next morning. Perhaps he did not wanthis daughters to know how very hoarse his voice was. He left for thedoctor's before going to the theater, and most anxiously did thegirls await his return.
"There he is!" exclaimed Ruth at length, late that afternoon.
"But he's earlier than usual!" said Alice. "I wonder----"
Mr. DeVere fairly staggered into the room. His face was white as hesank into a chair Alice pushed forward.
"Daddy!" exclaimed the girls.
He shook his head mournfully.
"It--it's no use!" he said, and they could barely make out his words."My voice failed completely. I--I had to give up the rehearsal," andhe covered his face with his hands.
The Moving Picture Girls; Or, First Appearances in Photo Dramas Page 4
