THE DOCTOR TAKES A HAND.
Doctor Wainridge had done a little thinking on his own part and he
arrived at the Widdemere home early the next morning. Finding that the
boy was in a listless state, from which he had been aroused only by his
interest in his new friend, the physician, after dismissing the nurse,
sat down by the bed-side and took the thin hand in his own.
"Robert, lad," he began in a low voice that could not possibly be
overheard by an intentional or unintentional eavesdropper, "I hear that
you have made the acquaintance of that little gypsy lady who is staying
next door." The boy looked up with almost startled inquiry. He had not
supposed that their meeting had been observed. Then a hard expression
shadowed his eyes. "Huh, I might have known that sly cat would pry
around. I suppose she told you."
The good-natured doctor wanted to laugh aloud. He quite agreed with the
boy's description of the nurse, but, of course, it would not be ethical
to permit the patient to know this and so he said, assuming an expression
of professional interest merely: "Miss Squeers mentioned it to me,
Robert, and of course, in her capacity as nurse, she feels, in the
absence of your mother, that she should try, if possible, to influence
you against a friendship that your mother might not wish you to make."
The boy's eyes flashed and he drew himself to a sitting posture. "Doctor
Wainridge," he said vehemently, "how can I ever get well if I am kept a
prisoner with a jailor whom I hate, hate, hate! Can't you dismiss Miss
Squeers from my case and just look after me yourself. Gee whiz, Doctor
Wainridge, aren't there servants enough around this place to make me some
broth and give me a bath."
The doctor glanced at the closed door and put his fingers on his lips as
a suggestion that the boy speak in a lower voice. "I cannot dismiss Miss
Squeers," he said, "because in your mother's cable to me she asked that
she be called, but, of course, as you know, a doctor's orders must be
carried out, and so I now order, that, until your mother dismisses _me_,
you are to see as much of the little gypsy girl as possible, if you find
her companionship amusing. You are merely children and as such need young
companionship." Then, after feeling the lad's pulse and taking his
temperature, he said loud and cheerily, "Well, Robert Widdemere, you feel
pretty well I judge. Fever's all gone and you look rested."
"There wasn't anything the matter with me yesterday only I was mad, mad
clear through." The boy cast a vindictive glance at the closed door on
the other side of which they could both visualize a wrathful nurse,
trying, if possible, to hear the conference she had been barred from.
Then the boy confessed. "It was this way, Doctor Wainridge, that nice
girl, Lady Red Bird, the one next door, told me that she would come back
to the hedge yesterday afternoon to ask how I was getting on, and that
nurse must have heard, for she took me driving and kept me away until I
was so angry that it wore me all out, and I had a fever. Now, what
worries me is, will Lady Red Bird ever come back again? It isn't a bit
likely that she will. Girls have too much pride to chase after a fellow,
if he isn't there when he says he will be. She'll think I'm a cad. I just
know she won't come again, and I wouldn't blame her if she didn't."
"Neither would I blame her, Robert," the doctor agreed. "Now, laddie,
listen to me. If you will rest all this morning and eat a good lunch and
not be wrathful at your nurse whatever she may say or do, I'll come over
this afternoon and take you to call on your new friend. I've been
planning for ever so long to drop in and see Miss Dahlia. I've been their
family physician more years than I like to remember. Well, sonny, how
does, that plan strike you."
The boy looked up brightly. "Bully," he ejaculated. Then anxiously he
inquired, "Shall you tell the nurse?"
"I'll tell her to get you ready for a drive as I shall call for you at
two. Then I will let Miss Dahlia know that I am to call on her at
two-thirty and would like to meet her protêge."
The old doctor was indeed pleased to see how quickly his suggestion
brightened the lad's face.
Reaching out a thin hand, he took the big brown one as he said; "Doc,
you're a trump! I needn't feel that I haven't a friend when you're at the
wheel. Now I'm going to rest hard until noon."