CHAPTER XII
LOLA'S FLIGHT
Dick Fenway's apartment was a popular place for after-theatre parties,or any other description of informal evening merry-making. It was wellwithin the "lobster belt," less than five minutes taxi-ride from"anywhere."
It was, or rather was announced as "strictly a bachelor apartment,"but to a casual observer its "strictness" was largely a matter of theimagination. Mrs. Harlan once remarked that the thing she liked abouta classy bachelor apartment was "that they were the only places in NewYork where they knew how to treat a lady."
Dick, who had been making a day of it, was entertaining a party, ofwhich, as usual, Mrs. Harlan was the central figure. They had gone ina body to the opening of a new musical comedy, but after the curtainfell on the first act, she had announced it as "the same old thing,only a bit rottener," and they had adjourned to Dick's rooms to windup the evening with a game of roulette, to be followed by a littlesupper. Mrs. Harlan had the bank and, being some three hundred dollarsahead of the game, was in the best of humor. Dick, as usual, had beenlosing heavily, but did not seem to be greatly cast down by hisill-fortune; as he expressed it, his "old man was too fat, and it didhim good to work."
Aside from Dick and Mrs. Harlan, the party consisted of Jim Winnett, abroker; Sam Norton, a popular comedian, just at present out of anengagement; Ted Hawley, one of those mysterious gentlemen, of whichthis section of New York is so full, who manage to live in greatcomfort on an income of nothing a year, and, by no greater exertion,so far as anyone has been able to discover, than it takes to arraythemselves in well-tailored garments, and cultivate the pleasant artof hand-shaking. Accompanying these gentlemen were a carefullyselected quartette of young ladies, whose physical charms made up forany possible lack of social culture.
Brooks, a man servant of perfect manners and unimpeachablerespectability, moved about quietly, supplying cigars for thegentlemen, cigarettes for the ladies, and liquid refreshment for both,with a skill born of long experience, and if he had any personalopinion at all of his master's guests, it was hidden behind a face ofsuch absolute lack of expression that it is to be greatly doubtedwhether they looked upon him as a human being, or a bit of ratherunusually perfect mechanism, invented for their express convenience.
In most circles of this sort, a close observer will notice that thereis usually some one man, who seems to be elected by unanimous vote, topay all the bills, and in this case Mrs. Harlan was not at allsurprised to discover that when Dick grew tired of throwing away hisfather's money, and retired rather sulkily to a distant window seat,the game languished, and after a moment's puny struggle, died ofinanition.
"You're a fine bunch of pikers," the lady observed, with that nicechoice of the vernacular which constituted one of her chief socialcharms. "There isn't sporting blood enough in the whole crowd of youto drown a medium-sized flea."
LOLA ACCEPTS THE CHAPERONAGE OF MRS. HARLAN.]
"I'm sick of the game, Madge," responded Dick moodily, "and I guessI'm off my feed to-night. I feel rotten! You folks start a poker game,if you want to, I'm going to sit around for a while."
"He's in love, that's the matter with him," said one of the girls."It's that pretty little blond he's been rushing lately. What's thetrouble, Dick, did she pass you up?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Dick answered, rather anasty look coming into his eyes. "You're all right, Nellie, but youspend so much of your time talking that you never seem to sayanything."
"Better let up on him, folks," Mrs. Harlan observed mildly. "Dickknows what he is about, and it's still pretty good dope to learn tomind your own business."
Conversations started along these lines have, in society of thiselevated description, been known to break up the party, occasionallyknown to have led to the breaking of more tangible things, but a sharpring at the bell interrupted them, and Brooks left the room quietly toadmit the late visitor.
"I wonder who that is?" questioned Mrs. Harlan. "I hope it's BobNelson. Bob's not much of a talker, but he's a real sport, and if wedon't get some one to throw out a life-line pretty quick, this partyis going to turn out punker than the show was."
Brooks entered and, crossing to Fenway, announced in a low voice: "Alady to see you, sir."
"Who is she?"
"She wouldn't give her name, sir; said she wanted to see you, and ifyou weren't at home she'd wait."
"Do you know her?"
"No, sir, she has never been here before, sir."
"Well, I don't know who she is, and I don't care. I can't be botheredgoing to the door this time of night. If she wants to see me she'llhave to come in here; if she don't like that she can go away. Tell herso."
"Yes, sir."
"This place of mine is getting to be like the corner of Broadway andForty-second Street," Dick said resentfully, as Brooks went to deliverhis message. "I'm about the only one in New York who doesn't feel athome here."
"Well, you are cranky to-night, I must say. That's a fine way to talkto a room full of guests," remonstrated Mrs. Harlan. "How do we knowthat----"
"The lady, sir." Brooks' announcement interrupted Mrs. Harlan'sspeech, and they all glanced up as a young woman stood on thethreshold and looked about her with wondering, excited eyes. Even tothem there was something strangely out of place in this girl'spresence here; and as they saw Mrs. Harlan's astonishment, and heardDick's gasp of surprise, and something very like dismay, they scentedsomething out of the ordinary, and bent forward in eager curiosity.
"Lola!" Dick rose to his feet awkwardly. "Lola!"
"Your man told me that to see you I must come in here, and it was verynecessary that I should see you."
"I beg your pardon, I had no idea. I--I--please come into the nextroom, where we can talk quietly."
"I say, Dick," said Sam Norton thickly, "ain't you going to introducethe lady?" He rose rather unsteadily and started toward Lola.
"You go to hell, Sam!" Dick pushed him away roughly. "Come, MissBarnhelm, I am sure you will feel more at home in here."
As he spoke he opened the door of the adjoining room and as sheentered he turned so fiercely on the others that they lost at once anydesire they may have had to satisfy their curiosity.
"You'd better keep away, all of you!" was all he said, but the look onhis face warned them that he was in no mood to be trifled with, and asthe door closed behind him they did not even laugh.
The room into which he had taken her was furnished as a library, andas Lola looked about her she noticed with keen pleasure the tastefuland expensive furnishings and the atmosphere of luxury. In reality, itwas Dick's favorite room, and reflected, as rooms sometimes will, thebetter side of his nature. It is worthy of remark that of all thenoisy party outside, Mrs. Harlan alone had ever put her foot acrossthis threshold, and Mrs. Harlan, no matter what her faults, at leasthad brains.
As Lola seated herself and looked around curiously, he stoodexpectantly in front of her, waiting for an explanation of herpresence.
"Well, Lola," he said at last, seeing that she made no effort tobegin.
"Well?" She looked at him smilingly.
"It's awful good of you to come here, of course, Lola, but I--I--don'tyou think you had better tell me all about it?"
"There is very little to tell, Dick. They scolded me for being late;that started it, then John found out that I had been at the restaurantwith you; a little later they found that silly diamond thing you gaveme. One thing on top of another was a little too much for them. Thingsbegan to be very unpleasant, so I came away."
"Came away. I am not sure that I quite understand you. Came away forhow long?"
"I am never going back there," she replied, "never in my life."
"And--and you came to me?"
"Yes."
"Lola! Do you know what that means?"
"I--I thought it would mean that you would be glad to see me."
He was far from being a good man. He had done his best to bring thisvery thing about, but now that it had com
e some little spark ofmanhood in him made him hesitate. He did not speak for a moment, andwhen he did it was in a voice more serious than any of his friendswould have recognized.
"I am married, Lola; you know that, but my lawyers are fixing things,and before long I expect to get a divorce. Will you come to me now,and let me take you away from all this mess, and marry me just as soonas things are arranged?"
"Are you sure you want me, Dick?"
The look in his eyes was answer enough as he caught her in his arms,but if she was afraid of him she showed no sign of it. She allowed himto kiss her once on the lips, then she gently freed herself, and stoodlooking at him laughingly, and she seemed to him so young, so like apretty, inexperienced child, that he was, for the moment, ashamed topress his advantage over her.
"You did want me after all, didn't you, Dick? I was sure you would,although I was just a little bit nervous, while your man kept mewaiting at the door. You are a dear boy, and I am going to learn to bevery fond of you, and just as soon as you get that horrid divorce Iwill marry you, if you still want me."
"And until then, Lola?" He looked at her with a growing passion, as herealized how completely she was putting herself into his power.
"It may be a month or two. I'll hurry things all I can, but until thenwhat are you going to do? Let's have this settled right now. I won'talways be in as decent a mood as I seem to be in to-night. What areyou going to do until then?"
"I am going to stay with you, Dick." She looked at him, blushingslightly, but without a sign of nervousness. "No, please!" As hestepped toward her to take her in his arms. "I have thought it all outvery carefully. If I come to you it must be on my own conditions."
"It shall be, Lola; anything you want you shall have."
"I want you to take me away, to-night, before any of them can find me.I don't want to come back to New York until after we are married. Iwill go with you anywhere you want to take me, but not alone. You mustfind some woman who will go with us."
"Mrs. Harlan," he suggested promptly. "She's rather hard up just now,and she'd be glad of a little trip. She could get away to-morrow, I'msure, if we made a point of it; not to-night; no woman on earth coulddo that."
"Ask her, and if she will go, ask her if she would be willing to takeme to her house to-night. John will come here, I am sure of that, buthe would not dare to go there before morning, and if he comes then wecan find a way to avoid him. You can take us there in a cab; then goto an hotel for the night."
"Do you think I am afraid of John Dorris?"
"I think you are very foolish if you are not," she answered. "John isa quiet man, but if he were to find us here in this room together, hewould kill you!"
Dick was no coward, but the bravest of men scarcely like to hearstatements of this sort, and he remembered the look on John's facewhen he had passed him in the doorway, the day Lola had been broughthome so seriously injured, killed, as they all supposed, by hiscarelessness. So he lost no time in calling Mrs. Harlan into the room,and telling her of their plans. She gladly agreed to go with them on avisit to the various summer resorts, and cheerfully offered to takecare of Lola until they were ready to start. She said it was verysensible of them to avoid the chance of any unpleasantness, and thatthe sooner they got away from Dick's rooms the better. She remindedthem that it would be a very easy matter for John, or Dr. Barnhelm, toget Dick's address from the telephone book, but she had no doubt ofbeing able to keep Lola safely in her own apartment, until they wereready to leave the city. She returned to the other room for her wrap,and John went to telephone for his car and to give instructions toBrooks to pack up for a long journey.
LOLA CONFESSES HER LOVE FOR DICK FENWAY.]
Left alone to wait for their return, Lola moved curiously about,looking at everything with great interest. How nice it was all goingto be, to always be surrounded by beautiful objects. Dick was going tobe very good to her, she was sure of that, quite sure of her powerover him. He was a good fellow; he had never thrilled her as John haddone, for a moment, that very afternoon, but John was a prude; shenever would have been able to endure life with him.
How silly of her to have hesitated. She should have left home longago. She had supposed that it would almost break her heart, but shedid not seem to care at all. She must remember that. Nothing everreally mattered, after all, if one had the courage to do as onepleased. Something always happened to make things all right.
She was glad when she came to think of it that Dick was not in aposition to marry her at once. She might find that he bored her, orthat he was not as kind as she expected, and if so, why then shewouldn't marry him at all.
As she had walked down Broadway, from the subway station, a dozen menhad turned and looked after her, rich, well-dressed men, some of them.After all there was no reason why a girl should worry, with the worldso full of men, all of them eager to lavish their money on her. Onehad to be careful, of course, and she meant to be careful. She had nofear of Dick, she could manage him. John was different; if John hadbeen a bad man she would have been afraid of him, afraid of herself,but, thank goodness, Dick was harmless. He was too wise, tooexperienced; his very look put her on her guard against him. What afortunate thing it was that men were such obvious creatures, good orbad; how silly to be afraid of either sort; one only had to be alittle prudent, a little clever, and perhaps a little pretty. Shelaughed softly to herself. She was all of these, she knew, and more.She had no fear of the world; she was not afraid; she was eager tomatch her strength against it. She felt perfectly safe when, a fewmoments later, they shot out of the side street, in Dick's big car,and turned up Broadway. It was midnight, but the great thoroughfarewas thronged with automobiles--thousands of them. What a good timepeople had, to be sure; what a fool she had been to waste any of herprecious youth in the dull life of her old home. She was only justtwenty, after all, she thought happily, and she had a lot of time yetin which to be young and gay.
She was seated on the back seat of the car with Dick and Mrs. Harlan.Dick was between them, and as they turned into Broadway he took herhand, and pressed it tenderly. She returned the pressure softly, andlooked up at him. As she did so she saw John Dorris. He was on thecrowded sidewalk, hurrying down the street as fast as the throng infront of him would allow. For a moment their eyes met. She saw hispale, worried look change to fierce anger as he saw her there withDick and Mrs. Harlan. He sprang to the curb and called out to her, butthe car shot past. He followed desperately. A traffic policeman mightstop them at Forty-second Street; that was his only chance. As he ranalong, in the street, keeping close to the sidewalk, hundreds of headsturned to look after him. The Broadway crowd is quick to scenttrouble, and as they saw the look on his face they turned laughingly,and tried to see what he was going to do.
"Some guy is going to get his, if that feller's legs hold out,"remarked a fat man with a wide grin of delight. "I wish he'd manage topull it off quick, 'cause I'm too damned fat to do a Marathon."
There they were! The long line of cars had stopped in response to theofficer's raised hand. He would do it yet! His breath was coming inquick gasps, but he saw them! He saw the big red car in the line withall the others. He could see Fenway standing up, and looking backanxiously. He had good reason to be anxious!
Lola should not do this thing! This man should not be allowed to blasther life! It would be better to get him by the throat, and drag himout of the car, and, no matter what, kill him if necessary. What cameafter did not count. This girl, the girl he loved, should not give herfresh beauty to this beast, soul and body to his vicious pleasures. Hewas in time, thank God for that! They saw him now, he could read thelook of terror in Dick's face, the queer expression of fascinatedinterest, almost of delight in Lola's eyes, and he put all hisstrength into one last effort.
As he sprang forward, his eyes on Dick, he heard a shrill whistle. Thelong line broke, the car seemed to leap from under his hands, he heardmen cry out, angrily; he felt rough hands hurl him back to thesidewalk, and he saw Lola standing up,
leaning over the back of thecar, looking back, and laughing at him.