The Desert and the Sown Part 15

"His mother was perfectly magnificent through it all, they say."

"Have you seen much of Mrs. Bogardus?"

"No; we left them alone, poor things, when the pinch came. But I used to see her walking the porch, up and down, up and down. Moya would go off on the hills. They couldn't walk together! That was after Miss Chrissy went home. Her mother took her back, you know, and then returned alone.

Perfectly heroic! They say she dressed every evening for dinner as carefully as if she were in New York, and led the conversation. She used to make Moya read aloud to her--history, novels--anything to pretend they were not thinking. The strain must have begun before any of us knew. The colonel kept it so quiet. What is the dear man doing with your bonnet?"

The colonel had plucked his sister's walking-hat, a pert piece of millinery froward in feathers, from the trunk of the headless Victory, where she had reposed it in her haste before dinner.

"Mustn't be disrespectful to the household Lar," he kindly reminded her.

"Where am I to put my hats, then? I shall wear them on my head and come down to breakfast in them. Moya, dear, will you please rescue my hat?

Put it anywhere, dear,--under your chair. There is not really a place in this house to put a thing. A wedding that goes off on time is bad enough, but one that hangs on from month to month--and doesn't even take care of its clothes! Forgive me, dear! The clothes are very pretty.

I open a bureau-drawer to put away my middle-aged bonnet--a puff of violets! A pile of something white, and, behold, a wedding veil! There isn't a hook in the closet that doesn't say, 'Standing-room only,' and the standing-room is all stood on by a regiment of new shoes."

"My dear woman, go light on our sore spots. We are only just out of the woods."

"Isn't it bad to coddle your sore spots, Doctor? Like a saddle-gall, ride them down!" Mrs. Creve and Dr. Fleming exchanged a friendly smile on the strength of this nonsense. On the doctor's side it covered a suspicion: "'The lady, methinks, protests too much'!" The colonel, too, was restless, and Moya's sweet color came and went. She appeared to be listening for steps or sounds from some other part of the house.

The men all rose now as Mrs. Bogardus entered; one or two of the ladies rose also, compelled by something in her look certainly not intended.

She was careful to greet everybody; she even crossed the room and gave her hand to Lieutenant Winslow, whom she had not seen since the night of his return. The doctor she casually pa.s.sed over with a bow; they had met before that day. It was in the mind of each person present not of the family, and excepting the doctor, to ask her: 'How is your son this evening?' But for some reason the inquiry did not come off.

The company began suddenly to feel itself _de trop_. Mrs. Dawson, who had come under the doctor's escort, glanced at him, awaiting the moment when it would do to make the first move.

"I hear you lost a patient from the hospital yesterday?" said Lieutenant Winslow, at the doctor's side.

"_From_, did you say? That's right! He was to have been operated on to-day." The doctor shrugged his shoulders.

"What!"

"Two broken ribs. One grown fast to the lung."

"Wh-ew!"

"He just walked out. Said I had ordered him to have fresh air. There was a new hall-boy, a greenhorn."

"He can't go far in that shape, can he?"

"Oh, there's no telling. The const.i.tution of those men is beyond anything. You can't kill him. He'll suffer of course, suffer like an animal, and die like one--away from the herd. Maybe not this time, though."

"Was he afraid of the operation?"

"I can't say. He did not seem to be either afraid or anxious for help.

Not used to being helped. He would be taken to the Sisters' Hospital.

Wouldn't come up here as the guest of the Post, not a bit! I believe from the first he meant to give us the slip, and take his chance in his own way."

"Did you hear,"--Mrs. Creve spoke up from the opposite side of the room under that hypnotic influence by which a dangerous topic spreads,--"did you hear about the poor guide who ran away from the hospital to escape from our wicked doctor here? What a reputation you must have, Doctor!"

"All talk, my dear; town gossip," said the colonel. "You gave him his discharge, didn't you, Doctor?" The colonel looked hard at the medical officer; he had prepared the way for a statement suited to a mixed company, including ladies. But Doctor Fleming stated things usually to suit himself.

"There was a man who left the Sisters' Hospital rather informally yesterday. I won't say he is not just as well off to-day as if he had stayed."

"Who was it? Was it our man, father?"

"The doctor has more than one patient at the hospital." Colonel Middleton looked reproachfully at the doctor, who continued to put aside as childish these clumsy subterfuges. "I think you ladies frightened him away with your attentions. He knew he was under heavy liabilities for all your flowers and fancy cookery."

"Attentions! Are we going to let him die on the road somewhere?" cried Moya.

"Miss Moya?" Lieutenant Winslow spoke up with a mixture of embarra.s.sment and resolution to be heard, though every voice in the room conspired against him. "Those men are a big fraternity. They have their outfitting places where they put in for repairs. Packer John had his blankets sent to the Green Meadow corral. They know him there. They say he had money at one of the stores. They all have a little money cached here and there. And they _can't_ get lost, you know!"

Moya's eyes shone with a suspicious brightness.

"'When the forest shall mislead me; When the night and morning lie.'"

She turned her swimming eyes upon Paul's mother, who would be sure to remember the quotation.

Mrs. Bogardus remained perfectly still, her lips slightly parted. She grew very pale. Then she rose and walked quickly to the door.

"Just a breath of cold air!" she panted. The doctor, Moya, and Mrs.

Creve had followed her into the hall. Moya placed herself on the settle beside her and leaned to support her, but she sat back rigidly with her eyes closed. Mrs. Creve looked on in quiet concern. "Let me take you into the study, Mrs. Bogardus!" the doctor commanded. "A gla.s.s of water, Moya, please."

"How is she? What is it? Can we do anything?" The company crowded around Mrs. Creve on her return to the drawing-room. She glanced at her brother. There was no clue there. He stood looking embarra.s.sed and mystified. "It is only the warm welcome we give our friends," she said aloud, smiling calmly. "Mrs. Bogardus found the room too hot. I think I should have succ.u.mbed myself but for that little recess in the hall."

The colonel attacked his fire. He thought he was being played with.

Things were not right in the house, and no one, not the doctor, or even Annie, was frank with him. His kind face flushed as he straightened up to bid his guests good-night.

"Well, if it's not anything serious, you think. But you'll be sure to let us know?" said Mrs. Dawson. "Well, good-night, Mrs. Creve.

_Good_-night, Colonel! You'll say good-night to Moya? Do let us know if there is anything we can do."

Dr. Fleming was in the hall looking for his cape. The colonel touched him on the shoulder. "Don't be in a hurry, Doctor. Mrs. Dawson will excuse you."

"I don't think you need me any more to-night. Moya is with Mrs.

Bogardus. She is not ill. The room was a little close."

"Never mind the _room_! Come in here. I want a word with you."

The doctor laughed oddly, and obeyed.

"Annie, you needn't leave us."

"Why, thank you, dear boy! It's awfully good of you," Annie mocked him.

"But I must go and relieve Moya."

"I don't believe you are wanted in there," said Doctor Fleming.

"It's more than obvious that I'm not in here."

"Oh, do sit down," said the teased colonel.