A SUDDEN DEPARTURE
Drury Villard was not the only one at "Dreamy Hollow," who failed to
enjoy a full night of repose. There was William Parkins, guest, and
erstwhile trusted friend, whose brain teemed with plans by which he
might get control of the Villard estate. A score of times he turned over
in bed to escape the penalty of a sleepless night. Somewhere among the
small hours approaching the light of a new day he succumbed to fatigue
and had fallen into a weary doze. His last thought on going to sleep was
the urgency of quick action if his plans were to succeed. His advantage
lay in the present mental state of Drury Villard, whose mind, he was
convinced, must border upon the edge of insanity. Hence the need of
restraint, and no sane judge would dare deny a writ of sequester to a
next friend pending a period of isolation while awaiting the final
decree of the Court. Villard's great fortune should not be allowed to
"dangle" in plain sight of "jack-leg lawyers," while he, Parkins,
awaited final results of the proceedings.
During the hours he had given himself over to thoughts concerning the
Villard matter Parkins' mind had been cold toward any conscientious
scruple. In his judgment Villard's foolish notion that he could
communicate with the soul of a dead sweetheart was as good as a free
ticket to a sanitarium. Any judge would have to admit that. Nothing less
than providential interference could defeat the plan. The first thing to
be done was to select a lawyer of reputation and prestige. Until that
was decided, no important step could be taken, except to find out how
Sawyer would regard the situation. If he balked, naturally complication
would ensue, but the lawyer Parkins had in mind would brook nothing in
the way of nonsense. He could, if desirable, put Villard in an asylum.
As for Sawyer, he would be given to understand that any interference
from him would result in an investigation of his own peculiar views, he
having practically coincided with Villard's belief that the latter had
heard the voice of his dead love.
Dr. Sawyer had intimated plainly that he, too, had heard that voice and
understood the warning words about outside influences. He wondered if
Jacques, the servant who served the dinner, had witnessed Villard's
excitement and understood the cause of it. He decided to find out about
that matter on the following day. Meanwhile he would take one more
pill--then he would rest--"sleep"--he muttered. "I must be ready for
'big game' hunting to-morrow."
With this determination he closed his eyes and fell into a nervous
slumber. But an hour later Parkins found himself sitting upright in bed
and screaming with fear at the top of his voice. Several servants and a
night watchman soon surrounded him, the watchman holding an electric
torch with which he flashed a flood of light into the face of the guest.
Santzi, the Japanese attendant, and personal servant to Drury Villard,
had awakened his employer, and together they rushed to the chamber
occupied by the guest. The latter, wild-eyed and disheveled, stared at
his host and moaned. Then wildly, he shouted--
"It was you who planted a spook in this chamber! You have tried to
frighten me into your insane belief, but you've missed your guess!
You'll pay for this--you'll----"
"There now, William," soothed Villard--"calm yourself, my boy. Your
digestion is off--you've had a bad dream! Don't give way to such
unworthy thoughts. Don't you see that everything is all right?"
"A put up job--that's what I see! Neither you nor any one else in this
world can make a fool out of me! It's _you_ that is crazy--not I. It's
you that pretends to talk with dead people! In fact, it was you who put
up this scheme to scare me. You wanted to win me over into a looney
state of mind like yourself, but it didn't work! Now, sir, I'm done with
you!"
Parkins' eyes blazed with a mad light in each and his breath smelled of
drugs. In his rage he had thwarted his own plans and now comprehended to
the full extent the mess he had made of them. He demanded privacy from
the servants that he might clothe himself and be ready to take his leave
by first conveyance. He also demanded that Villard remain with him for a
conference, which was granted. Once the door was shut against all
witnesses, Parkins sat upon the edge of the bed and cried like a child.
"There is nothing I can say to remove the prejudice I must have aroused
within you, Drury. Of course you will acquit me of bad intentions. It
must have been a nightmare," he whimpered.
The bravado had entirely gone out of the Parkins' voice. Several moments
elapsed as Villard eyed him carefully.
"Just what did you see, William? Tell me exactly what caused your
fright."
Villard's words were measured. They lacked warmth, a fact that Parkins
could not have failed to take into account.
"Some one stood by my bedside--a woman's form--not in the flesh----"
"Yes--go on!"
"It stood there, motionless, and the room became as cold as ice. I tried
to shout but my voice refused to respond. All I could do was to gasp for
breath!"
"How long did the apparition remain in view?" demanded Villard, his eyes
gleaming his disgust toward Parkins.
"A half minute or a minute--seemed like an hour!" he replied, his teeth
chattering from sheer fright.
"Did the Spirit talk--say anything at all?"
"Not a word--just held up a hand as if warning me of something----"
"Ah! there I have it," broke in Villard. "You were warned that your
plans were known to me. And that is true. You have lost your soul,
William, and were you to die without repentance, it would roam through
the ages, lost to all chance of redemption."
"But I don't owe repentance to any dam'd spook! I----"
"Enough of that, sir!" snapped Villard wrathfully. "I'll have no
nonsense of that sort! Another insult and your baggage will await you at
the carriage entrance."
"But, Drury----"
"Hereafter you will address me as Mister Villard. Our intimacy is at an
end!" warned the Master of Dreamy Hollow.
His eyes blazed as he glared at the man on whom he had showered his
trust and esteem.
"To-morrow morning you will return to New York. By the time you reach
there I shall have made up my mind as to your future usefulness to the
company."
Having delivered this ultimatum Villard on second thought punched the
button for Jerry, a colored servant, long in his employ. He responded at
once.
"Send Santzi to me," said he,--"and return with him. I have duties for
both of you. Also arouse the housekeeper and tell her to provide tea and
toast immediately for a departing guest."
When Santzi, the Japanese body-servant to Drury Villard, presented
himself a few moments later he was told to order out the limousine and
prepare to accompany Mr. Parkins to New York.
"It is urgent that the trip be made as quickly as possible--but safely,"
said Villard, and as Santzi started to obey, the master walked along
beside him until both were out of hearing of the Parkins suite.
"I want you to sit inside facing this man. He is not well, and should
get back into a milder temperature. If he tries to get out of the car
just see that he doesn't. His mind is rather upset, because of his
illness. Jerry knows where he lives and will drive him straight to his
door by early morning."
"I'll attend, sir," replied Santzi.
"Then come back home, and get some sleep--but don't shut your eyes while
Mr. Parkins is in your care!"
"I not sleep, 'ntil start back. Must I use jiu-jitsu?"
"If necessary--but be safe. Do him no real harm. See that he harms
neither you nor himself--that's all."
As Parkins, in sulky mood, came out of his comfortable quarters into the
great hall leading to the porte cochère, Villard walked along beside
him, his hand upon his shoulder. Following came several servants, Santzi
in advance, Jerry, Jacques, and Mrs. Bond, the housekeeper, who carried
a hamper filled with food. Parkins had refused to partake of anything to
eat before leaving and as he stepped inside the car the top light
illumined his ashen face. He took the handshake offered by his host who
smiled reassuringly and wished him safe journey.
"You'll be down again, soon, I hope," said Villard, his voice kindly.
"These cold nights get on one's nerves until one becomes used to them.
Call me up soon, I'll be glad to know that you have recovered. Don't try
to report at the office to-morrow. I will phone up that you are not
well, but will be in a few days--meanwhile I'll look in on you at your
home. I'll let you know when. Keep your mind clear, and don't worry."
Parkins' last peep into Drury Villard's eyes brought each mind into full
understanding. Parkins knew that he must not go near the general offices
of the Villard Corporation without invitation from Villard himself.
Looking the situation squarely in the teeth he cursed the drugs that had
crazed him, and at once resolved to carry out orders. His future
depended upon his acceptance of the suggestions offered, which, in fact,
were orders. So tense were his nerves at the moment he could have cried
out against his absurd folly, but the placid face of Santzi appeared as
a full moon with eyes ever alert. The best thing to do was to draw the
robe about him and snuggle down to sleep.
The next he knew the big limousine had halted before the entrance of the
huge apartment building in Park Avenue. There he maintained a suite of
rooms richly furnished and thoroughly equipped for the kind of life he
led. Having slept all of the way home he had fairly recovered from his
delirium of the night, and after gulping down a full portion of "whiskey
sour," he aroused his man-servant and ordered his breakfast.
Then, methodically, he began to repack his suit case, a very large
affair with double hand-grips, capable of holding enough clothing for a
trip to London. But such a journey was farthest from his thoughts.
Patchogue was his destination, and the object of his haste was "the
prettiest little country girl on Long Island!" He had promised her a
trip to the great city, and her father was to accompany her--"and that
makes everything all right," he exclaimed aloud, holding up a kodak
picture of a beautiful young woman, plain of dress but graceful of form,
and a face of idyllic charm.
"Poor little motherless child," said he, softly--"and what a devilish
cur I am growing into!" he growled warningly at his weakness.
Shaking his head soberly as if steadying himself against a great folly,
his eye again caught sight of the big black bottle on the sideboard and
he rushed toward it and grasped it with trembling hands. This time he
took several great swallows, then rushed to the kitchenette for water
which he gulped down his throat until its parched surface had been
appeased.
"Poor little country maid," he mumbled after recovering from a spell of
hiccoughs which suddenly seized him. "I'll send her old man on a bus
ride while I show her a good time along the great white way--and then to
Zim's place! Poor little motherless girl--never has been to the big town
in all her life--and lives only fifty miles away! The old man can drift
for himself, after his bus ride. Ye Gods! Long Island holds thousands of
them who never have seen lil' ol' n'york--hic! Poor lil' country baby--I
love her--no use to marry, she hasn't any money. Love gets cold when you
run out o' gold--sounds like a song-hic!"
Parkins now stripped himself for a bath and was soon out of the tub and
under the shower. All this had a sobering effect upon him, and by the
time he had shaved and dressed he looked the part of a well groomed
gentleman. His eyes caught glimpses of the big black bottle now and
then, but he stood firm, and turned his back upon it. Once he waved his
hand toward it and hoarsely whispered--"never again!"
Then suddenly, he threw back his head and laughed immoderately.
"Never again--hell!" said he, "I'll drink when I want to! Whiskey hasn't
anything on me! I can take it or leave it alone," saying which, he
stepped over to where the bottle stood and took several swallows just to
prove his assertion. Then, calling to his servant, he ordered two full
quarts placed in his suit case, and to phone McGonigle's garage for his
four seated roadster.
A half hour later he was steering his car amid the traffic of the
Williamsburg bridge on his way to a little house in the heart of
Patchogue, the home of Alexander Barbour, and his daughter--Winifred.