JIM LONG SHOWS HIS HAND.
As I ran through the silent, dusky street, keeping to the road in
preference to risking myself, at that pace, over some most uncertain
"sidewalks," for pavements were unknown in Trafton, my thoughts were
keeping pace with my heels.
First they dwelt upon the fact that Jim Long, in making his brief, hasty
exhortation to me, had forgotten, or chosen to ignore, his nasal twang
and rustic dialect, and that his earnestness and agitation had betrayed
a more than ordinary interest in Carl Bethel, and a much more than
ordinary dismay at the calamity which had befallen him.
Carl Bethel had been shot down at his own door!
How came it that Jim Long was near the scene and ready for the rescue,
at eleven o'clock at night? Who had committed the deed? And why?
Some thoughts come to us like inspirations. Suddenly there flashed upon
my mind a possible man and a probable motive.
Blake Simpson was coming back. Contrary to my expectations, he had
probably entered Trafton on foot, having made the journey by means of
some sort of conveyance which was now, perhaps, carrying him away from
the scene of his crime.
This would explain the singular apathy of Dimber Joe. He had walked out
earlier in the evening to ascertain that the way was clear and the game
within reach, or, in other words, at home and alone. Then perhaps he had
made these facts known to his confederate, and after that, his part in
the plot being accomplished, he had returned to the hotel, where he had
kept himself conspicuously in sight until after the deed was done. Here
was a theory for the murder ready to hand, and a motive was not wanting.
Only a week since, some party or parties had committed a shameful
outrage, and the attempt had been made to fasten the crime upon Carl
Bethel. Fortunately the counter evidence had been sufficient to clear
him in the eyes of impartial judges. The doctor's courage and popularity
had carried him safely through the danger. His enemies had done him
little hurt, and had not succeeded in driving him from Trafton.
Obviously he was in somebody's way, and the first attempt having failed,
they had made a second and more desperate one.
Here my mental diagnosis of the case came to an end. I had reached the
gate of the doctor's cottage.
All was silent as I opened the door and entered the sitting-room. A
shaded lamp burned softly on the center-table, and beside it stood the
doctor's easy-chair and footrest. An open book lay upon the table, as if
lately laid down by the occupant of the chair, who had put a half-filled
pipe between the pages, to mark the place where he had stopped reading
when interrupted by--what?
Thus much I observed at a glance, and then turned toward the inner room
where, upon the bed, lay Carl Bethel.
Was he living or dead?
Taking the lamp from the table I carried it to the bedside, and bent to
look at the still form lying thereon. The loose coat of white linen, and
also the vest, had been drawn back from the right shoulder; both were
blood-stained, and the entire shirt front was saturated with blood.
I put the lamp upon a stand beside the bed, and examined closer. The
hands were not yet cold with the chill of death, the breath came feebly
from between the parted lips.
What should I do?
As I glanced about the room while asking myself this helpless question,
there came a step upon the gravel outside, quick, light, firm. Then the
door opened, and Louise Barnard stood before me.
Shall I ever forget that woful face, white as the face of death, rigid
with the calmness of despair? Shall I ever banish from my memory those
great dark eyes, too full of anguish for tears? It was another mental
picture of Louise Barnard never to be forgotten.
"Carl, Carl!"
She was on her knees at the bedside clasping the limp hand between her
own, bowing her white face until it rested upon his.
"Carl, Carl! speak to me!"
[Illustration: "Carl, Carl! speak to me!"--page 292.]
But there was no word of tenderness in answer to her pitiful appeal, no
returning pressure from the still hand, and she buried her head in the
pillows, uttering a low moan of despair.
In the presence of one weaker than myself, my own helplessness forsook
me. I approached the girl who knelt there believing her lover dead, and
touched her shoulder lightly.
"Miss Barnard, we have no time now for grief. He is not dead."
She was on her feet in an instant.
"Not dead! Then he must not die!"
A red flush mounted to her cheek, a new light leaped to her eye. She
waited to ask or give no explanation, but turned once more and laid her
hand upon the blood-ensanguined garments.
"Ah, we must waste no more time. Can you cut away this clothing?"
I nodded and she sprang from the room. I heard a clicking of steel and
the sound of opening drawers, then she was back with a pair of sharp
scissors in her hand.
"Use these," she said, taking command as a matter of course, and
flitting out again, leaving me to do my work, and as I worked, I
marveled at and admired her wonderful presence of mind--her splendid
self-control.
In a moment I knew, by the crack of a parlor match and a responsive
flash of steady light, that she had found a lamp and lighted it.
There were the sounds of another search, and then she was back again
with restoratives and some pieces of linen.
Glancing down at the bed she uttered a sharp exclamation, and all the
blood fled out of her face. I had just laid bare a ghastly wound in the
right shoulder, and dangerously near the lung.
It was with a mighty effort that she regained her self-control. Then she
put down the things she held, and said, quite gently:
"Please chafe his hands and temples, and afterward try the restoratives.
There is a fluid heater out there. I must have warm water before--"
"Long has gone for a doctor," I interrupted, thinking her possibly
ignorant of this fact.
"I know; we must have everything ready for him."
She went out and I began my work of restoration.
After some time passed in the outer room, she came back to the bedside
and assisted me in my task.
After a little, a faint sigh and a feeble fluttering of the eyelids
assured us that we were not thus active in vain. The girl caught her
breath, and while she renewed her efforts at restoration I saw that she
was fast losing her self-control.
And now we heard low voices and hurrying footsteps.
It was the doctor at last.
Excepting Bethel, Dr. Hess was the youngest practitioner in Trafton. He
was a bachelor, and slept at his office, a fact which Jim took into
account in calling for him, instead of waking up old Dr. Baumbach, who
lived at the extreme north of the village.
Dr. Hess looked very grave, and Jim exceedingly anxious, as the two bent
together over the patient.
After a brief examination, Dr. Hess said:
"I must get at Bethel's instruments. I know he keeps them here, so did
not stop to fetch mine."
"They are all ready."
He turned in surprise. Miss Barnard had drawn back at his entrance, and
he was now, for the first time, aware of her presence.
"I knew what was required," she said, in answer to his look of surprise.
"They are ready for you."
The doctor moved toward the outer room.
"I must have some tepid water," he said.
"That, too, is ready. I shall assist you, Dr. Hess."
"You!"
"Yes, I. I know something about the instruments. I have helped my father
more than once."
"But--"
"There need be no objection. I am better qualified than either of these
gentlemen."
He looked at me, still hesitating.
"I think you can trust the lady," I said; "she has proved her
capability."
"Very well, Miss Barnard," said the doctor, more graciously; "it may try
your nerves;" and, taking up some instruments, he turned toward the
inner room.
"I shall be equal to it," she replied, as, gathering up some lint, and
going across the room for a part of the water, fast heating over the
fluid lamp, she followed him.
"Doctor, can't _we_ do something?" asked Jim Long.
"Nothing at present."
How still it was! Jim Long stood near the center of the room, panting
heavily, and looking down at a dark stain in the carpet,--a splash of
human blood that marked the place where Bethel had fallen under the fire
of the assassin. His face was flushed, and its expression fiercely
gloomy. His hands were clenched nervously, his eye riveted to that spot
upon the carpet, his lips moved from time to time, as if framing
anathemas against the would-be destroyer.
After a time, I ventured, in a low tone:
"Long, you are breathing like a spent racer. Sit down. You may need your
breath before long."
He turned, silently opened the outer door, making scarcely a sound, and
went out into the night.
That was a long half hour which I passed, sitting beside the little
table with that splash of blood directly before my eyes, hearing no
sound save an occasional rustle from the inner room, and now and then a
low word spoken by Dr. Hess.
To think to the purpose seemed impossible, in that stillness where life
and death stood face to face. I could only wait; anxiously, impatiently,
fearing the worst.
At last it was over; and Jim, who evidently, though out of sight, had
not been out of hearing, came in to listen to the verdict of Dr. Hess.
"It was a dangerous wound," he said, "and the patient was in a critical
condition. He might recover, with good nursing, but the chances were
much against him."
A spasm of pain crossed Louise Barnard's face, and I saw her clench her
small hand in a fierce effort to maintain her self-control. Then she
said, quite calmly:
"In his present condition, will he not require the constant attention of
a surgeon?"
Dr. Hess bowed his head.
"Hemorrhage is likely to occur," he said. "He _might_ need surgical aid
at a moment's notice."
"Then, Dr. Hess, would you object to our calling for counsel--for an
assistant?"
He elevated his eyebrows, more in surprise at the pronoun, I thought,
than at the suggestion, or request.
"I think it might be well to have Dr. Baumbach in to-morrow," he
replied.
"I was not thinking of Dr. Baumbach," she said. "I wish to send to New
York for a doctor who is a relative of Mr. Bethel's. I know--it is what
he would wish."
Dr. Hess glanced from her face to mine and remained silent.
"When my father was sick," she went on, now looking appealingly from the
doctor's face to mine, and then over my shoulder at Jim, who had
remained near the door, "Dr. Bethel said that if he had any doubts as to
his case, he should telegraph at once for Dr. Denham, and he added that
he knew of no surgeon more skillful."
Still no answer from Dr. Hess.
Jim Long came forward with a touch of his old impatience and accustomed
quaintness in his words and manner.
"_I'm_ in favor of the city doctor," he said, looking, not at Dr. Hess,
but straight into my face. "And I'm entitled to a voice in the matter.
The patient's mine by right of discovery."
Miss Barnard gave him a quick glance of gratitude, and I rallied from
the surprise occasioned by the mention of "our old woman," to say:
"I think you said that this gentleman is a _relative_ of Dr. Bethel's;
if so, he should be sent for by all means."
"He is Dr. Bethel's uncle," said Miss Barnard.
"Then," I repeated, with decision, "as a relative he should be sent for
at once."
"Most certainly," acquiesced Dr. Hess, who now saw the matter in, to
him, a more favorable light. "Send for him; the sooner the better."
"Oh," breathed the anxious girl, "I wish it could be done at once."
"It can," I said, taking my hat from the table as I spoke. "Fortunately
there is a new night operator at the station; he came to-night, or was
expected. If he is there, we shall save time, if not, we must get Harris
up."
"Oh, thank you."
Dr. Hess went to take a look at his patient, and came back, saying:
"I will remain here until morning, I think."
"And I will come back as soon as possible," I responded, turning to go.
Jim Long caught up his hat from the floor, where he had flung it on
entering.
"I reckon I had better go along with you," he said, suddenly assuming
his habitual drawl; "you may have to rout Harris up, and I know right
where to find him."
I was anxious to go, for a reason of my own, and I was not sorry to have
Jim's company. "Now, if ever," I thought, "is the time to fathom 'the
true inwardness' of this strange man."
We waited for no more words, but set out at once, walking briskly
through the night that seemed doubly dark, doubly silent and mysterious,
at the witch's hour of one o'clock.
We had walked half the distance to the station; in perfect silence, and
I was studying the best way to approach Jim and overcome his reticence,
when suddenly he opened his lips, to give me a glimpse of his "true
inwardness," that nearly took me, figuratively, off my feet.
"Men are only men, after all," he began, sententiously, "and
_detectives_ are only common men sharpened up a bit. I wonder, now, how
you are going to get the address of this Dr. Denham?"
I started so violently, that he must have perceived it, dark though it
was.
What a blunder! I had walked away from the cottage forgetting to ask for
Dr. Denham's address.
Uttering an exclamation of impatience, I turned sharply about.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"I'm going back after the address, of course."
"I wouldn't do that; time's precious. Do you go ahead and send the
message. I'll run back and ask after the address."
"Long," I said, sharply, "what do you mean?"
"I mean this," he replied, his tone changing suddenly. "I mean that
it's time for you and I to understand each other!"