MILDRED IS MILITANT
The next afternoon Henrietta left her office early, in order to
discharge some commissions for her sister in the shopping district.
Stopping to look at a window display of spring costumes, her eye was
caught by a dress that suited her taste exactly. She inspected it from
both sides and went into the doorway that she might get the back view.
"What a lovely suit and how becoming it would be for me!" she thought.
"I wonder if I could afford to buy it. Oh dear, no! I mustn't even
think of such a thing! It would be just that much off the mortgage
payments."
She turned away with a sigh and found herself face to face with Hugh
Gordon, who glanced with a quizzical smile from her to the window.
"Did you hear one of the commandments cracking?" she laughed. "I've
just been coveting one of those suits as hard as I could."
"Are you going in to buy it now?" he asked with a suggestion of
disappointment in his air, as if, having come upon her so
unexpectedly, he disliked to lose her again at once.
"Oh, dear, no! I'm not going to buy it at all. I can't afford it."
"Well, then, you are wise not to buy it, and the best way is not even
to think about it any more," he said in that abrupt manner to which,
although it had sometimes startled her at their first meetings, she
had already grown accustomed. She had told herself more than once,
indeed, that she liked it in him, it seemed so expressive of his
masculine forcefulness and decision of character.
"How different you are from Mr. Brand," she answered smiling. "He
would say in such case, 'If you want it why don't you buy it at once?
There's no time like the present for doing the things you want to
do.'"
His brows came together in a quick frown and his eyes flashed as he
said: "Yes, I know that is his philosophy of life. But it's not mine
by a long ways. I think it despicable."
His voice sounded harsh and angry and Henrietta looked up in surprise
at the intensity of feeling it betrayed.
Then she remembered Dr. Annister's suggestion and exclaimed, "Oh, by
the way, I've a message for you!"
He listened with interest as she told him of Dr. Annister's desire to
see him and asked if he could either go there with her now or make an
appointment for another day.
"It would be kind of you to go," she added. "You have relieved my mind
so much about Mr. Brand that I am hoping you can make them feel a
little less anxious, too--especially Miss Annister. I suppose you know
she and Mr. Brand are engaged!"
"Yes, I know it," he answered curtly as he looked at his watch. "I
have some leisure time now, a couple of hours, and I can go at once as
well as not. I don't know," he went on doubtfully, "whether or not
Miss Annister will want to see me. She is much prejudiced against me."
Henrietta's mind flew back to the decided opinions Mildred had
advanced to the reporters, which, however, she was glad to remember,
they had modified in their accounts.
"She was, some weeks ago," Henrietta began reassuringly.
"And is yet," he declared. "I happen to know that her feeling toward
me is very hostile. And Felix has encouraged her in it."
"She is so very much in love with Mr. Brand and so wildly anxious it
would be a great kindness to give her even a little comfort,"
Henrietta gently urged.
"I'll do what I can," he replied after a moment's hesitation. He spoke
slowly and his companion, looking up, wondered at the extremely
serious expression that had come into his face.
As they entered the Annister home, Mildred and her mother were
descending the stairs, dressed for the street. Henrietta looked up
from the doorway and saw Mildred's countenance transfigured with
sudden joy.
The girl sprang down the steps with a cry of "Oh, Felix, Felix!"
Gordon stepped in from the vestibule where his features had been
blurred by the brilliant sunlight behind him, and Mildred, stricken
with disappointment, threw up her hands to cover the tears she could
not control, and sobbing, rushed back up the stairs. Gordon looked
grimly on, his face set and scowling, as if he were gripping deep into
his very soul with an iron determination.
"Come up to the drawing-room," said Mrs. Annister, when Henrietta had
presented her companion and explained their errand, "and I'll send for
Dr. Annister."
Thither also she presently brought Mildred. But the stately air with
which the girl entered the room and the haughty inclination of her
head with which she acknowledged Gordon's greeting told how little
trust she expected to feel in anything he might say.
In answer to Dr. Annister's inquiries Gordon told them, in substance,
what he had already said to Henrietta and gave them, in brief, curt
sentences, that seemed to spring spontaneously out of the force and
simplicity of his character, the same assurances that Brand was in no
danger and that he would return, safe and well, in his own good time.
"That," he added, "is all that I can tell you, because it is all I
know. But I do know that."
"Father!" cried Mildred, springing from her chair, her slender figure
militantly erect, her eyes flashing and her voice thrilling with
indignation. "How can you sit there and listen to this man's talk! Why
don't you throttle him and make him tell all he knows? It's plain
enough that if he knows this much he must know where Felix is and why
he doesn't write to me. But I see through it all! He's got Felix
locked up somewhere, perhaps in some mountain cabin in West Virginia,
or perhaps he's killed him. He ought to be arrested! If you don't care
enough for Felix to have it done I'll telephone for the police at once
and he shall not leave this house until they come!"
Her words poured forth in an angry torrent, and then, with a sobbing
cry, she swept from the room. Dr. Annister leaped to his feet as if to
follow her, then turned with a hand outstretched to his wife.
"You'd better go to her," he said anxiously. "She's hysterical and
must be put to bed. I'll be there presently. I hope you will pardon my
daughter's outburst," he added, turning to Gordon with a little bow.
"She is overwrought from having brooded over this matter much more
than it deserves. I don't share her suspicion of you and you seem to
me to show every mark of a man speaking honestly what he believes to
be the truth. But you will pardon me if I say I do not quite
understand how it can all be true."
They had all risen and Gordon was looking straight down into the
little physician's eyes with an expression so serious and solemn that
Henrietta caught her breath, intently listening for what he was about
to say.
"No," he replied, slowly, gravely, "I do not wonder that you do not
understand. Neither do I."
Professional inquiry was in the keen glance with which Dr. Annister
searched for an instant his visitor's face and eyes. Henrietta,
watching him, guessed that he was probing for some sign of mental
aberration. But apparently he was satisfied on that score, for as he
followed them out he gave her a reassuring pat upon the arm.
"Well," he said more cheerfully, "since this is all you can tell us,
we shall have to wait with what patience we can for Mr. Brand's
return. But I will tell you frankly, Mr. Gordon, that I, at least,
have confidence in you and accept your assurances."
He did not tell them, however, by what course of reasoning he had
quickly come to this conclusion. That was something to be kept closely
locked in his own breast until he should see Felix Brand again. For he
had decided that the most probable key to the mystery was that his
daughter's betrothed was indulging in some secret form of debauchery,
perhaps solitary drunkenness, perhaps indulgence in some drug, perhaps
mere beastliness, and that this fact was known to his intimate friend,
Hugh Gordon, who, in single-minded loyalty, was trying to protect him.
A normal man's disgust at such a course of conduct, thought the
doctor, would explain the antipathy which he was often unable to
conceal when Brand's name was mentioned.
Henrietta thought her companion somewhat abstracted on their way down
town, and unusually serious, even for him, who was accustomed to take,
as she had already learned, a serious view of himself and the world.
He crossed the ferry with her, and not until they had ensconced
themselves in a quiet corner of the boat's upper deck did he seem to
settle the question which had been disturbing his mind. But settled
she decided it must be, for he now gave himself up to enjoyment of her
society.
When they landed he walked with her to her trolley car, where they
stood, still talking, until the motorman began making preparations to
start.
"Good-bye," he said unsmilingly, as he held out his hand. "I shall see
you again sometime, but I fear it will not be soon."