CHAPTER XXVI.
HUBERT VARRICK RESCUES JESSIE BAIN.
We must return to Jessie Bain.
The girl had scarcely proceeded a block through the blinding snow-driftsere she began to grow chill and numb.
"I can never make my way to the store!" she moaned. "I-- I will perishin this awful cold!"
She grew bewildered as to the direction which had been given her. "Itcan not be that I am going the right way," she sobbed.
Involuntarily she turned around and took the first cross-street in view.She had scarcely made her way half a dozen blocks when the knowledge wasfully forced upon her that she must have lost her way, that each stepshe took was bringing her toward the suburbs of the city instead of thebusiness portion.
Jessie stopped short. Then she fell. Hubert Varrick, on the other sideof the street, saw the slender figure suddenly reel backward, whirlabout, and then fall face downward in a huge snow-drift that swallowedher from sight. He plunged quickly forward, muttering to himself: "Whata terrible thing it is for a weak woman to be out on such a night asthis!"
And he wondered if it could be the poor sewing-girl whom he had justheard the servants discussing. They had said that Rosamond Lee had senther to one of the stores for a few yards of velvet ribbon, withoutgiving her her car-fare, expecting her to walk all the way in the faceof such a storm.
"I declare, it is a thousand pities!" muttered Varrick.
In less time than it takes to tell it he had reached the spot where thegirl lay prostrate.
Heavens! how thinly she was clad! And he shivered even from the depthsof his fur-lined overcoat at the very thought of it.
Deftly as a woman might have done, he raised her, remembering that therewas a drug store across the way to which he could carry her. For oneinstant his eyes rested on her face in the dim, uncertain, fadingdaylight; then an awful cry broke from his lips--a cry of horror.
"My God! is it Jessie Bain? Am I mad, or am I dreaming?"
He looked again. Surely there was no mistaking that lovely face, withthe curling locks lying over her white forehead.
Do not censure him, that in that instant he forgot the whole world, onlyremembering that fate had given into his arms the one being in thiswide earth his soul longed for. He had found Jessie Bain.
Mad with delight, he clasped her in his arms and covered her face withfervid kisses. He kissed the snowy cheeks and lips, and thecotton-gloved hands. Then the thought suddenly occurred to him that hewas losing valuable time. Every moment was precious, her young lifemight be in jeopardy while he was keeping her out there in the bittercold.
In a trice he tore off his warm fur coat, wrapped it about her, andhurried over to the drug store, bearing his beautiful burden as thoughshe were but a child.
"This way!" he called out sharply to the clerk in attendance. "Attendquickly to this young lady! She has been overcome with the cold! She isdying!"
The young man behind the counter responded with alacrity, and hurriedlyresorted to the restoratives usually applied in those cases, HubertVarrick standing by, watching every action, his heart in his eyes, hisface pale as death.
Every effort of the young man to revive Jessie Bain seemed futile.
"I should not wonder, sir, if this was a case of heart failure," hedeclared. "Generally they die instantly, though I have known them tolinger for several hours. You had better summon an ambulance, sir, andhave her taken to the hospital. There is one just around the corner.Shall I ring for it, sir?"
"No; I will carry her there myself. You say it is just around thecorner?"
Feeing the man generously, even though he had failed to restore the poorgirl, Hubert Varrick caught her in his arms once more, again faced theterrible storm with her, and arrived at the hospital, panting at everystep, for he had run the entire distance.
He summoned a doctor. To him he stated his mission, adding that hefeared the girl was dying, and that he would give half his fortune ifthe doctor would but save her life, as it was more precious to him thanthe whole world beside.
The man of medicine said it was only a question of suspended animation.If pneumonia did not set in, there was no cause for alarm.
Jessie was quickly given in charge of one of the nurses, a gentle,madonna-faced woman. She was quickly put to bed, and everything done forher that skill and experience could suggest. Hubert Varrick beggedpermission to sit by her couch and watch the progress of their efforts.
"Do your best," he cried, his strong voice quivering with emotion, "andI will make it worth your while. You can name your own price."
The long hours of the night passed; morning broke cold and gray throughthe eastern sky, making the soft lamp-light that flooded the room lookpale and wan in the dim, gray morn. The white face lying against thepillow had never stirred, nor had the blue eyes unclosed. The sun washigh in the heavens when it occurred to him, for the first time, thatthe folks would be greatly worried about him. During the night thegirl's white lips had parted, and she murmured, faintly: "I must push onthrough the terrible storm, though the faintness of death seems creepingover me, for Miss Rosamond is waiting for the velvet ribbon."
Hubert Varrick's strained ears had caught the words as he bent over her,and as he heard them his rage knew no bounds, for it was clear enough tohim now that Jessie Bain, the girl he loved, had been the victim ofRosamond Lee's cruelty. The blood fairly boiled in his veins. He feltthat he could never look upon Rosamond Lee's face again.
He was so accustomed to terrible surprises that nothing seemed to affecthim of late. That Jessie Bain should have found employment under his owngrandfather's roof shocked him a little at first.
But as he began to fully realize it, he said to himself that it was thehand of fate that had led her there, that he might find her. It was notuntil the sun had climbed the horizon, had crossed it, and was sinkingdown on the other side, that consciousness came back to Jessie Bain.With the first fluttering of the white eyelids, the doctor in attendancemotioned Hubert Varrick away.
"She must not see you," he said. "It might give her a set-back. Just nowwe can not be too careful of her."
This was a great disappointment to Varrick, but he tried to bear itpatiently.
For two long and weary weeks Jessie Bain was too ill to leave theshelter of that roof. Hubert Varrick took rooms in a lodging-houseopposite, that he might be near her at all times.
Great was Jessie Bain's consternation, when consciousness returned toher, to find herself in a hospital, with a kindly-faced nurse bendingover her.
"What has happened?" she cried. "Why am I here? Ah, let me get back toMiss Rosamond!" she cried. "She will be so very angry with me."
Gently the nurse informed her that she had been there a fortnight. Shetold her how a gentleman had saved her from the terrible storm, bringingher there in his arms, his own coat wrapped about her, and how he hadever since spent his time hanging about the place, feeing with goldthose who attended her to do everything in their power for her.
"I did not know that there was any one in this whole wide world thatwould do so much for me," murmured Jessie, in bewilderment. "Pleasethank him for me, kind nurse."
"Nay, you must do that yourself, child," said the woman, smilingly. "Andlet me tell you this: he seems to be greatly in love with you."
"It can not be."
"I assure you that it is quite true. Every one is speaking of howdevoted he is to you. If I were you, I'd-- Ah! here he comes now. I willleave you alone with him to thank him, my dear."
So saying, the nurse left the room.
"Little Jessie!" Hubert whispered, almost beside himself with joy.
"Mr. Varrick!" she breathed in a low voice of awe.
Then he poured a tale of passionate love into her ears, but beforeJessie could answer he had caught the little hands again in his warmclasp, covered them with kisses, and was gone.
Jessie Bain tried to collect her scattered senses. Her head seemed in awhirl. All that had happened within the last few minutes appeared
butthe coinage of her own brain.
When the nurse came in again she found the girl feverish withexcitement.
"Come, come, my dear; this will never do," said the nurse. "You will besure to have a relapse if you are not very careful. Think how badly thatwould make the young man feel."
Jessie smiled. Suddenly a low cry broke from her lips, and she startedup pale with emotion. She had suddenly recalled poor Margaret and shetold the nurse the whole story.
"Give me her address, and I will telegraph there for you," said thenurse. "To be frank with you, the gentleman left a well-filled purse,which he bid us place at your disposal. You are to want for no luxurythat money can purchase for you."
Jessie Bain was overcome by the wonderful kindness of Hubert Varrick.Her first thought was that she could never accept another penny, for shewas too much indebted to him already. Then came the thought ofMargaret--poor Margaret! She begged the nurse to send a telegram in allhaste, informing the boarding-house keeper that the money for MargaretMoore's board would be forthcoming.
This request was carried out at once, and within an hour the answer cameback that Jessie Bain's telegram had come too late. No money having comein time for the girl's board, she had been sent to one of the publicasylums, and while _en route_ there, by some means she had made herescape, and her whereabouts was then unknown.
Jessie's grief was great upon hearing this. The nurse believed that thebitter sobs which shook Jessie's slender frame would give her a relapsethat would keep her there for many a day.
"There is but one thing to do," she said, trying to console Jessie, "andthat is to get back your health and strength as soon as you can, andmake a search for her. You will find her if you advertise and offer areward to any one who will tell you of her whereabouts."
Surely, the money which Hubert Varrick had placed at her disposal couldnot be used for a nobler purpose; and then, if Heaven intended her toget well and strong again, she could soon pay him the amount borrowed.Again the nurse did everything in her power to carry out her patient'swishes. The advertisement duly appeared in the leading New York papers,but as the days passed, all hope that she would be able to find Margaretwas abandoned.
In the third day after Hubert Varrick's departure, a long letter camefor her.
"What do you think I have for you, Miss Bain?" said the nurse.
"Has the--the letter come that Mr. Varrick said he would write?" sheasked, eagerly.
"That's just what it is," was the smiling reply; and the thick, whiteenvelope was placed in her hands.
"I will leave you alone while you read it, Miss Bain," and addedsmilingly: "A young girl loves best to be alone when she reads such aletter as I imagine this to be. There--there; don't blush and look soembarrassed."
The next moment Jessie was alone with Hubert's letter.