CHAPTER XXV. A SUDDEN DEPARTURE
Time--A week later.
"Hello, Bobs, is that you?" But it was Lena May who had answered animperative ring at the telephone, and so she replied, "Oh, good morning,Mr. Caldwaller-Cory. No, I am not Roberta. I will call her."
A moment later Ralph knew that he was talking to the girl whom he loved.
"I say, Bobety," he exclaimed, "will you go for a drive with me rightaway this minute? Please say 'yes' (for she had hesitated), I havesomething of great importance to tell you."
"Honestly, I can't, Ralph," was the earnest reply. "I am going to giveLena May a holiday. She and Dean Wiggin are going to take little TonyWilovich to Bronx Park and spend the day. The little fellow is wild tosee the monkeys and Lena May needs a day among the trees."
Her youngest sister was at her elbow whispering, "We can go some othertime, dear, if there's something that you want to do."
But Roberta shook her head. There was a brief silence at the other end ofthe line, then the lad spoke again. "I say, Bobs, how are they going? Onthe L! That's what I thought. Suppose I get Dad's big car. We can takethem out to the park and then on the way back you and I can have thevisit I want. In fact I've _got_ to see you, Bobs. It's terriblyimportant to me. I'm all cut up about something that has happenedand----"
Roberta knew by her friend's voice that something had occurred to troublehim greatly, and so she said: "Wait a moment, Ralph. I will talk it overwith my sister."
Lena May thought the plan a good one and Ralph was told to be at thePensinger mansion in one-half hour with the car and they would all beready and waiting for him.
Lena May then departed to the rickety tenement to get the wee lad.
"Oh, Mrs. Wilovich," the girl said, as she looked about the small, hotroom. "How I do wish that you would go with us today. Don't you feelstrong enough?"
"No, dearie, thanks though. The coughin' spell was harder'n usual thismornin'. 'Twas all as I could do to get Tony's breakfast. I'll be thathappy knowin' as the little fellow's seein' the monkeys his heart's beenset on ever since the picture posters was up on the fences."
Five minutes later the girl and the little boy were joined by the youngbookseller on Seventy-eighth Street.
"Dean," Lena May said sadly, "I don't believe that Mrs. Wilovich will bewith us one month from today."
"Nor do I," the lad replied; then he added, as he looked at thecurly-headed three-year-old, who had darted ahead but who looked back,laughing at them, "What will become of Tony?"
"I'm going to keep him, somehow. Gloria has given her permission. Iwanted to be sure that Sister thought my plan wise that I might know justwhat to say to the little mother when she speaks of it to me, as she willin time."
No wonder was it that the lad's unspoken love for the girl took untoitself the qualities of adoration. "She is too sweet and too good to beloved by a useless man such as I am," he thought, and how he wished thathis muscle-bound arm might be freed that he could work and fight theworld for this angel of a girl. A surgeon had once told him that therewas really nothing wrong with his arm. It had grown with the passingyears, but was stiffened from long disuse.
Tony was wildly excited when he saw the big green car in which he was toride for the first time in his short life, and he entertained them allwith his chatter.
Roberta, sitting on the front seat with her friend, glanced often at hisface and realized that, although he, too, joined in the laughter evokedby the baby's prattle, his thoughts were of a very serious nature, andshe wondered what she was to hear when they two were alone.
She little dreamed that Ralph was to say something that would greatlyaffect her.
Dean, carrying the basket which was well filled with picnic refreshments,and Lena May leading the shining eyed three-year-old, waved back at thebig car as they entered the side gate of the woodsy Bronx Park.
Bobs smiled as the baby voice wafted to them, "Ohee, see funny cow!"
They were near the buffalo enclosure.
Then Ralph started the engine and slowly the car rolled along the littleriver and toward the country. Roberta, knowing that something was greatlytroubling her friend, reached out a hand and laid it sympathetically uponhis arm. Instantly his left hand closed over hers and his eyes turnedtoward her questioningly. "Bobs," he said, "you've been a trump of afriend to me. I'm not going to try to tell you just now what it means.It's another friend I want to talk about. Dick--Dick De Laney. Youremember that I told you he has become almost as dear to me as a brother,since Desmond died. I was sure Dick would do anything for me. I had suchfaith in his loyalty, in his devoted friendship, but now he has donesomething I can't understand." Ralph paused and his companion saw that hewas greatly affected. "Bobs, I'm taking this awfully hard. I----"
Roberta was amazed. What had her old pal, Dick De Laney, done to so hurther new friend? "Why, Ralph dear," she said, for he had turned away asthough too overcome with emotion for the moment to go on with his story."What has Dick done? I know that it is nothing disloyal or dishonorable.You don't know Dick as I do if you can doubt him for one moment. He woulddo what he believed was right, even if the consequences were to bringreal suffering to him. He's been that way ever since he was a littlefellow. You may take my word for it, Ralph, that whatever Dick has done,his motive is of the highest. Now tell me what has hurt you so deeply?"
"Well, it's this way," the lad began. "I've missed Dick terribly, more,of course, before I met you, but I have been looking eagerly forward tothe month he was to spend with me in the Orange Hills. I didn't tell youthat I expected him to arrive today. I wanted to surprise you, butinstead I received a letter on the early morning mail and it informed methat, although the writer really did love me as though I were hisbrother, he thought it best not to visit me this summer; instead he haddecided to travel abroad indefinitely and that he had engaged passage ona steamer that leaves Hoboken at noon today. What can it mean?"
The lad turned and was amazed at the expression in the face of the girl."Why, Bobs," he blurted out, "can it be--do you care so much because Dickis going away."
"Oh, Ralph, of course I care. It's all my fault. I knew Dick loved me. Iguess I've always known it, and last April, when he was home for thespring vacation, I promised him that--Oh, I don't remember just what Idid promise, but I do know that I haven't written often of late, and Iguess he thinks I don't care any more; and maybe that's why he's goingaway; but I do care, and, oh, Ralph, I can't let him go without tellinghim. I always meant to tell him when he came home from college. I thoughtwe were too young to be really engaged until then. Dick has been sopatient, waiting all these years, and loving me so truly and so loyally.Can't we stop him, or--at least can't we see him before he sails?"
The expression in the fine face of the lad at her side plainly told thestruggle that was going on within his heart. So, after all, Dick De Laneyhad been as loyal as a brother. He was going away to give Ralph a clearfield.
Well, it was Ralph's turn now to show the mettle he was made of. In avoice that might have betrayed his emotion if Roberta had not been soconcerned with her own anxiety and regrets, he said:
"Of course, Bobs, we will try to reach the boat before it sails. We'llferry over to the Jersey side and then we'll break the speed limit."