CHAPTER II.
POWER OF ATTORNEY.
When Dr. Wright entered the library where the four girls were holdingtheir consultation, he thought that without doubt they made a verycharming group. But his soul was wroth within him at womenkind who couldlet a man like the one he had just left upstairs slave himself almostinto insensibility that they might be gorgeously clothed and delicatelyfed. Silk stockings and lamb chops! Both very expensive luxuries! Well,they would learn their lesson young, which was a blessing. Rump steaksand bare feet or maybe cotton stockings and sandals would not be so hardon them as on the poor little weakling upstairs with her pretty eyesalready reddened at the first breath of disaster.
The library at the Carters' home was a beautiful room with not onejarring note. Low bookshelves built into the walls were filled withbooks in rich bindings. Costly rugs covered the floors. The walls werehung with signed etchings and rare prints. Ordinarily George Wrightwould have taken great pleasure in such a room, but now he only lookedupon it as just so much more evidence of the selfishness of the femalesof the Carter family and the unremitting toil of the male.
He had not yet met any of the girls, but without hesitation he cameforward, his step singularly light for one of his build. He spoke beforeHelen, whose back was towards the door, had even become aware of hispresence. She gave a little gasp, sprang from the low ottoman, and facedthe young physician, a spirit of antagonism showing from the first inher flashing eyes and sensitive nostrils. Helen had what Nan called "aspeaking nose," and every emotion was shown as clearly by her nose as bysome persons' eyes and others' mouths.
"I want to speak to Miss Douglas Carter; but since all of you are here,perhaps it might be just as well for me to speak to all of you." Thelast part of his speech was made to Helen, whose attitude of defiancewas unmistakable.
"I am Douglas," said the elder girl, rising and giving her handgraciously to the young man whose blue eyes showed no gleam of humournow and whose long upper lip was pulled down so far and so grimly thathis perfect teeth could not do their part towards taking from the ruggedhomeliness of his face. "This is Helen, this Nan, and this Lucy."
The girls shook hands with him, all but Helen. She bowed, but as shebowed backwards, as it were, that is, jerked her chin up rather thandown, it did not pass for courtesy.
"Won't you sit down?" asked Douglas.
"Well, yes,--I've got to talk to you girls like a Dutch uncle and Imight just as well get down to it."
"I have an engagement," said Helen icily, consulting her tiny wristwatch, "so I will be excused."
"What time is your engagement?"
"Whenever I choose to keep it."
"Well, then I think you will choose to keep it a little later. I haveone, too, but am going to spare a few minutes to talk about your father,and I think it best for all of you to be present."
Douglas drew Helen down beside her. The girl was trembling just like ayoung horse who has felt the first spur. Robert Carter had always saidthat Helen was the best child in the world just so long as she had herown way. Fortunately her own way was not a very wrong way as a rule, butif there were a clash of wills, good-by to the will that was not hers.
Who was this bushy-eyebrowed young Caliban who came there ordering herabout? She would show him! But in the meantime Douglas had an arm aroundher and Caliban was talking.
"Your father is a very ill man and as his physician I feel compelled tohave a very serious conversation with the family."
"Will he die?" whispered Lucy, all pertness gone from her young face.
"No, my dear, he will not die; but he may do worse than die unless hecan be allowed to take the rest that he should have been taking foryears."
"What could be worse than death?" sobbed Nan.
"Uselessness! Chronic nervous prostration! His nerves have lost theirelasticity and nothing will cure him but a long rest, absolutely freefrom care. Worries of all kinds, business, financial, family, everykind, must be kept from him. As I told your mother yesterday, a seavoyage would be the best thing for him, a long, lazy trip. When one getson the water out of sight of land he kind of loses his identity in theimmensity of Creation. That is what I want your father to do--lose hisidentity. Your mother must go with him to nurse him--he won't need muchnursing, fortunately. And now you girls have got to decide amongyourselves what is best to do. I know your financial affairs are noneof my business----"
"Ahem----" from Helen.
"But I have to make your business my business for the time being onaccount of my patient. Your father tells me he has absolutely no incomeexcept what he gets from his profession. You know that, I suppose?"
"Why no--that is--we----" hesitated Douglas. "Father never talkedbusiness with us."
"Um hum! I see! Just gave you ample allowances and let you spend 'em?"
"We have never had allowances," spoke Nan with her funny drawl. "Justmade bills instead."
Dr. Wright flashed an amused look at the girl and for the first timethey became aware of the fact that he had a very handsome set of teeth.
"Well, now, for a year I see nothing but for you to manage with verylittle and maybe not that. You own this house."
"Of course!" from the scornful Helen. "We can easily keep house herewhile our parents are away."
"But, Helen, keep house on what?" asked Douglas.
"Why, just keep house! Just go on living here."
"But when Father stops working, there is no more money. Can't you see?"
"Well, then, we will have to charge."
"Yes, charge on, and when your father gets well, if he does get well, hewill have an accumulation of bills to meet which will be so good for hishealth, won't it?" The young man looked the scorn which he felt forHelen and addressed all of his remarks after that to Douglas, wholistened attentively and gratefully. She well knew it was no pleasanttask for him to plunge into their financial affairs, but he explained toher that it was important for his patient to leave town immediately ifthe change was to come in time, and that left no opportunity for them toconsult the friends and relatives who would be the natural ones to go toin this predicament.
"Your mother wishes you to act in her stead and your father is to giveyou power of attorney so you can attend to any business for him. Can Itrust you to get them ready, without bustle and confusion, by to-night?They can take the train to New York leaving here at eight. They cantake a boat to the Bermudas and Panama which sails to-morrow. I will goto New York with them and see that they get off safely."
"Oh, you are very kind," murmured Douglas.
"Not at all! I have business in New York, anyhow, and I know the surgeonon that particular boat, an old classmate of mine, and I want to put himon to your father's case. But now we come to the part you girls are toplay. It is going to be pretty hard on you, but you are not to see yourfather before he goes. It would be exciting for him and I want him toavoid all excitement. Arrangements must be made and we must get him offquietly, without bustle. If he sees you, he will begin to question youabout what you are going to do while he is away, and as you don't knowyourselves, the old habit that is as much a part of the whole family asfingers and toes will assert itself, and the burden will fall on him, asusual, and I can assure you I will not answer for the consequences ifone more ounce of worry is put on that tired brain. I am going to bringa notary public so he can give you, Miss Douglas, power of attorney totransact any business for him. I am loath to bring even this matter tohim, but that is necessary. As for what you are to do with yourselvesafter your parents leave, that is, of course, for you and your friendsto decide. My province as a nerve specialist ends when I get my patientaway, but begins again on his return, and if he comes back and findsdebts waiting for him, I am pretty sure all the good of the voyage willbe done away with. I think his mania is to keep out of debt. How he hasmanaged to do it I can't see, but he tells me the bills are paid up todate. I am awfully sorry for all of you, but I am much sorrier for thatfine, unselfish nature upstairs who has borne the heat of
the burdenabsolutely unassisted until he has fallen under it."
"Oh, Dr. Wright! Don't! Don't!" wailed Douglas.
"Brute!" hissed Helen, but whether she meant the young doctor or HelenCarter she wasn't herself quite certain.
"Your mother----" he continued.
"Don't you dare to criticise our mother!" interrupted Helen.
"My dear young lady, I was merely going to remark that your mother seemsto be absolutely necessary to the peace and happiness of your father,otherwise I would insist upon his going away alone. Often in these casesit is best for the patient to get entirely away from all members of hisfamily, but I think she has a good effect on him. I must go now and getthe notary public so you can enter into your office of vice regent. I'llalso make arrangements for the railroad trip and long-distance myfriend, the surgeon on the steamer. I'll be back in a jiffy," and Dr.Wright smiled very kindly at Douglas, whose young countenance seemed tohave aged years in the last few minutes. "I am trusting you to keep thehouse quiet and get things in readiness without once appealing to yourfather."
"I'll do my best."
"That's all any one can do," and George Wright was grateful that therewas one person in the house he could look to for sense and calmness. Henoted with added confidence that Douglas was very like her father incoloring and that the general shape of their features was similar. "Ihope they won't manage to break her in two as they have him," he said tohimself.
"We are going to help Douglas all we can," drawled Nan.
"Indeed we are!" exclaimed Lucy. Helen said nothing and did notacknowledge the bow that included her as the young doctor made his exitfrom the room.
Piercing shrieks came from the rear before the front door was reached!
"Give it to me! Give it to me! I ain't done makin' my puddin' an' it'llbe ruint if you don't give it to me! Marmer! Marmer! Make 'em give it tome!"
A door noisily opened above and a rather sharp call descended from thecourt of appeals.
"What does he want? Whatever it is, give it to him!"
"But, Mis' Carter, he done been in de silber draw' and 'stracted de teastrainer an' dat new fangled sparrowgrass flapper an' done took de bes'fluted bum bum dish fer tow mold his mud pies. I done tol' him not towmeddle in de mud no mo' fo' to-morrow as he is been washed an' dressedin his las' clean suit till de wash comes in. Jes' look at him! An' jes'listen tow him."
The irate old butler, Oscar, held by the hand the screaming, squirmingBobby. One could hardly help listening to him and it was equally hard tohelp looking at him. His beauty was almost unearthly: a slender littlefellow of six, with dark brown hair that curled in spite of the barber'sshears, the mouth of a cherub and eyes that were the envy of all hissisters--great dark eyes that when once you looked in them you wereforced to give up any anger you might feel for him and just tumble headover heels in love with him. That is what Dr. Wright did. He just fellin love with him. Enraged for a moment by the noise that he was tryingso hard to make the household feel must be kept from his patient, hestarted angrily down the hall toward the angelic culprit with a stern:
"Shhh! Your father is ill! You must stop that racket!" But one look inthose eyes, and he changed his tactics. Taking the naughty child by hisdirty little hand, he said: "Say, Bob, how would you like to come outwith me in my car and help me? I've a lot of work to do and need someone to blow my horn for me and stick out an arm when we turn thecorners."
"Bully! How much wages does you give?"
"A milk shake if you are good, and another kind if you are bad! Is it ago?"
"Sure!" And once more quiet reigned in the house. The upstairs doorclosed much more softly than it had opened, and Oscar cheerfully cleanedthe silver that Bobby had left in such a mess.