CHAPTER VII.
MR. PIERCE ACQUIRES A WIFE
Whoever has charge of the spring-house at Hope Springs takes the newsstand in the evening. That's an old rule. The news stand includestobacco and a circulating library, and is close to the office, and if Imissed any human nature at the spring I got it there. If you can't tellall about a man by the way he asks for mineral water and drinks it, bythe time you've supplied his literature and his tobacco and heard himgrumbling over his bill at the office, you've got a line on him and ahook in it.
After I ate my supper I relieved Amanda King, who runs the news stand inthe daytime, when she isn't laid off with the toothache.
Mr. Sam was right. All the women had on their puffs, and they weresitting in a half-circle on each side of the door. Mrs. Sam was there,looking frightened and anxious, and standing near the card-room door wasMiss Patty. She was all in white, with two red spots on her cheeks, andI thought if her prince could have seen her then he would pretty nearlyhave eaten her up. Mr. Thoburn was there, of course, pretending to readthe paper, but every now and then he looked at his watch, and oncehe got up and paced off the lobby, putting down the length in hisnote-book. I didn't need a mind-reader to tell me he was figuring thecost of a new hardwood floor and four new rugs.
Mr. Sam came to the news stand, and he was so nervous he could hardlylight a cigarette.
"I've had a message from one of the detectives," he said. "They'vetraced him to Salem, Ohio, but they lost him there. If we can only holdon this evening--! Look at that first-night audience!"
"Mr. Pierce is due in three minutes," I told him. "I hope you told himto kiss his sister."
"Nothing of the sort," he objected. "Why should he kiss her? Mrs. VanAlstyne is afraid of the whole thing: she won't stand for that."
"I guess she could endure it," I remarked dryly.
"It's astonishing how much of that sort of thing a woman can bear."
He looked at me and grinned.
"By gad," he said, "I wouldn't be as sophisticated as you are for a gooddeal. Isn't that the sleigh?"
Everybody had heard it. The women sat up and craned forward to look atthe door: Mrs. Sam was sitting forward clutching the arms of her chair.She was in white, having laid off her black for that evening, with a redrose pinned on her so Mr. Pierce would know her. Miss Patty heard thesleigh-bells also, and she turned and came toward the door. Her mouthwas set hard, and she was twisting the ruby ring as she always did whenshe was nervous. And at the same moment Mr. Sam and I both saw it; shewas in white, too, and she had a red rose tucked in her belt!
Mr. Sam muttered something and rushed at her, but he was too late. Justas he got to her the door opened and in came Mr. Pierce, with Mr. Sam'sfur coat turned up around his ears and Mr. Sam's fur cap drawn well downon his head. He stood for an instant blinking in the light, and Mrs.Van Alstyne got up nervously. He never even saw her. His eyes lighted onMiss Patty's face and stayed there. Mr. Sam was there, but what couldhe do? Mr. Pierce walked over to Miss Patty, took her hand, said, "Hellothere!" and KISSED HER. It was awful.
Most women will do anything to save a scene, and that helped us, forshe never turned a hair. But when Mr. Sam got him by the arm and led himtoward the stairs, she turned so that the old cats sitting aroundcould not see her and her face was scarlet. She went over to the woodfire--our lobby is a sort of big room with chairs and tables and palms,and an open fire in winter--and sat down. I don't think she knew herselfwhether she was most astonished or angry.
Mrs. Biggs gave a nasty little laugh.
"Your brother didn't see you," she said to Mrs. Van Alstyne. "I dare saya sister doesn't count much when a future princess is around!"
Mrs. Van Alstyne was still staring up the staircase, but she came toherself at that. She had some grit in her, if she did look like a Frenchdoll.
"My brother and Miss Jennings are very old friends," she remarkedquietly. I believe that was what she thought, too. I don't think she hadseen the other red rose, and what was she to think but that Mr. Piercehad known Miss Jennings somewhere? She was dazed, Mrs. Sam was. But shecarried off the situation anyhow, and gave us time to breathe. We neededit.
"If I were his highness," said Miss Cobb, spreading the Irish lacecollar she was making over her knee and squinting at it, "I should wishmy fiancee to be more er--dignified. Those old Austrian familiesare very haughty. They would not understand our American habit ofosculation."
I was pretty mad at that, for anybody could have seen Miss Patty didn'tkiss him.
"If by osculation you mean kissing, Miss Cobb," I said, going overto her, "I guess you don't remember the Austrian count who was a headwaiter here. If there was anything in the way of osculation that thatmember of an old Austrian family didn't know, I've got to find it out.He could kiss all around any American I ever saw!"
I went back to my news stand. I was shaking so my knees would hardlyhold me. All I could think of was that they had swallowed Mr. Pierce,bait and hook, and that for a time we were saved, although in theelectric light Mr. Pierce was a good bit less like Dicky Carter than hehad seemed to be in the spring-house by the fire.
Well, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Everybody went to bed early. Mr. Thoburn came over and bought a cigar onhis way up-stairs, and he was as gloomy as he had been cheerful before.
"Well," I said, "I guess you won't put a dancing floor in thedining-room just yet, Mr. Thoburn."
"I'm not in a hurry," he snapped. "It's only January, and I don't wantthe place until May. I'll get it when I'm ready for it. I had a goodlook at young Carter, and he's got too square a jaw to run a successfulneurasthenics' home."
I went to the pantry myself at ten o'clock and fixed a tray of supperfor Mr. Pierce. He would need all his strength the next day, and a mancan't travel far on buttered pop-corn. I found some chicken and got abottle of the old doctor's wine--I had kept the key of his wine-cellarsince he died--and carried the tray up to Mr. Pierce's sitting-room. Hehad the old doctor's suite.
The door was open an inch or so, and as I was about to knock I heard agirl's voice. It was Miss Patty!
"How can you deny it?" she was saying angrily. "I dare say you will evendeny that you ever saw this letter before!"
There was a minute's pause while I suppose he looked at the letter.
"I never did!" he said solemnly.
There had been a queer sound all along, but now I made it out. Some oneelse was in the room, sniveling and crying.
"My poor lamb!" it whimpered. And I knew it was Mrs. Hutchins, MissPatty's old nurse.
"Perhaps," said Miss Patty, "you also deny that you were in Ohio the daybefore yesterday."
"I was in Ohio, but I positively assert--"
"I'll send for the police, that's what I'll do!" Mrs. Hutchins said,with a burst of rage, and her chair creaked. "How can I ever tell yourfather?"
"You'll do nothing of the sort," said Miss Patty. "Do you want the wholestory in the papers? Isn't it awful enough as it is? Mr. Carter, I haveasked my question twice now and I am waiting for an answer."
"But I don't know the answer!" he said miserably. "I--I assure you, I'mabsolutely in the dark. I don't know what's in the letter. I--I haven'talways done what I should, I dare say, but my conduct in the stateof Ohio during the last few weeks has been without stain--unless I'veforgotten--but if it had been anything very heinous, I'd remember, don'tyou think?"
Somebody crossed the room, and a paper rustled.
"Read that!" said Miss Patty's voice. And then silence for a minute.
"Good lord!" exclaimed Mr. Pierce.
"Do you deny that?"
"Absolutely!" he said firmly. "I--I have never even heard of theReverend Dwight Johnstone--"
There was a scream from Mrs. Hutchins, and a creak as she fell into herchair again.
"Your father!" she said, over and over. "What can we say to yourfather?"
"And that is all you will say?" demanded Miss Patty scornfully. "'Youdon't know;'
'there's a mistake;' 'you never saw the letter before!' Oh,if I were only a man!"
"I'll tell you what we'll do," Mr. Pierce said, with something likehope in his voice. "We'll send for Mr. Van Alstyne! That's the thing, ofcourse. I'll send for--er--Jim."
Mr. Van Alstyne's name is Sam, but nobody noticed.
"Mr. Van Alstyne!" repeated Miss Patty in a dazed way.
I guessed it was about time to make a diversion, so I knocked and walkedin with the tray, and they all glared at me. Mrs. Hutchins was collapsedin a chair, holding a wet handkerchief to her eyes, and one side ofher cap was loose and hanging down. Miss Patty was standing by a table,white and angry, and Mr. Pierce was about a yard from her, with theletter in his hands. But he was looking at her.
"I've brought your supper, Mr. Carter," I began. Then I stopped andstared at Miss Patty and Mrs. Hutchins. "Oh," I said.
"Thank you," said Mr. Pierce, very uncomfortable. "Just put it downanywhere."
I stalked across the room and put it on the table. Then I turned andlooked at Mrs. Hutchins.
"I'm sorry," I said, "but it's one of the rules of this house thatguests don't come to these rooms. They're strictly private. It isn't MYrule, ladies, but if you will step down to the parlor--"
Mrs. Hutchins' face turned purple. She got up in a hurry.
"I'm here with Miss Jennings on a purely personal matter," she saidfuriously. "How dare you turn us out?"
"Nonsense, Minnie!" said Miss Patty. "I'll go when I'm ready."
"Rule of the house," I remarked, and going over to the door I stoodholding it open. There wasn't any such rule, but I had to get them out;they had Mr. Pierce driven into a corner and yelling for help.
"There is no such rule and you know it, Minnie!" Miss Patty saidangrily. "Come, Nana! We're not learning anything, and there's nothingto be done until morning, anyhow. My head's whirling."
Mrs. Hutchins went out first.
"The first thing I'D do if I owned this place, I'd get rid of thatred-haired girl," she snapped to Mr. Pierce. "If you want to knowwhy there are fewer guests here every year, I'll tell you. SHE'S thereason!" Then she flounced out with her head up.
(That was pure piffle. The real reason, as every thinking person knows,is Christian Science. It's cheaper and more handy. And now that it isn'theresy to say it, the spring being floored over, I reckon that mostmineral springs cure by suggestion. Also, of course, if a man's drinkingfour gallons of lithia water a day, he's so saturated that if he doesthrow in anything alcoholic or indigestible, it's too busy swimming forits life to do any harm.)
Mr. Pierce took a quick step toward Miss Patty and looked down at her.
"About--what happened down-stairs to-night," he stammered, with theunhappiest face I ever saw on a man, "I--I've been ready to knock myfool head off ever since. It was a mistake--a--"
"My letter, please," said Miss Patty coolly, looking back at him withouta blink.
"Please don't look like that!" he begged. "I came in suddenly out of thedarkness, and you--"
"My letter, please!" she said again, raising her eyebrows.
He gave up trying then. He held out the letter and she took it and wentout with her head up and scorn in the very way she trailed her skirtover the door-sill. But I'm no fool; it didn't need the way he touchedthe door-knob where she had been holding it, when he closed the doorafter her, to tell me what ailed him.
He was crazy about her from the minute he saw her, and he hadn't achange of linen or a cent to his name. And she, as you might say, on theragged edge of royalty, with queens and princes sending her stomachersand tiaras until she'd hardly need clothes! Well, a cat may look at aking.
He went over to the fireplace, where I was putting his coffee to keep ithot, and looked down at me.
"I've a suspicion, Minnie," he said, "that, to use a vulgar expression,I've bitten off more than I can chew in this little undertaking, andthat I'm in imminent danger of choking to death. Do you know anybody, afriend of Miss er--Jennings, named Dorothy?"
"She's got a younger sister of that name," I said, with a sort of chillgoing over me. "She's in boarding-school now."
"Oh, no, she's not!" he remarked, picking up the coffee-pot. "It seemsthat I met her on the train somewhere or other the day before yesterday,and ran off with her and married her!"
I sat back on the rug speechless.
"You should have warned me, Minnie," he went on, growing more cheerfulover his chicken and coffee. "I came up here to-night, the proudpossessor of a bunch of keys, a patent folding cork-screw and a pocket,automobile road map. Inside two hours I have a sanatorium and a wife.At this rate, Minnie, before morning I may reasonably hope to have afamily."
I sat where I was on the floor and stared into the fire. Don't tell methe way of the wicked is hard; the wicked get all the fun there isout of life, and as far as I can see, it's the respectable "in at teno'clock and up at seven" part of the wicked's family that has all thetrouble and does the worrying.
"If we could only keep it hidden for a few days!" I said. "But, ofcourse, the papers will get it, and just now, with columns every dayabout Miss Patty's clothes--"
"Her what?"
"And all the princes of the blood sending presents, and the king notfavoring it very much--"
"What are you talking about?"
"About Miss Jennings' wedding. Don't you read the newspaper?"
He hadn't really known who she was up to that minute. He put down thetray and got up.
"I--I hadn't connected her with the--the newspaper Miss Jennings,"he said, and lighted a cigarette over the lamp. Something in his facestartled me, I must say.
"You're not going to give up now?" I asked. I got up and put my hand onhis arm, and I think he was shaking. "If you do, I'll--I'll go out anddrown myself, head down, in the spring."
He had been going to run away--I saw it then--but he put a hand overmine. Then he looked at the door where Miss Patty had gone out and gavehimself a shake.
"I'll stay," he said. "We'll fight it out on this line if it takes allsummer, Minnie." He stood looking into the fire, and although I'm notfond of men, knowing, as I have explained, a great deal about theirstomachs and livers and very little about their hearts, there wassomething about Mr. Pierce that made me want to go up and pat him on thehead like a little boy. "After all," he said, "what's blue blood to goodred blood?"
Which was almost what the bishop had said!