The Indifference of JulietRichmond, Grace S. (Grace Smith)
General
The Indifference of Juliet
Richmond, Grace S. (Grace Smith)
American fiction -- 19th century
There was something in the imperative quality of this summons which made
the doctor run up the stairs, two at a time. Judith and Wayne listened.
The rooster could still be heard crowing, faintly but distinctly.
"Perhaps he's grown too excited over it," Judith suggested. "They ought to
take it away."
Carey went to the bottom of the stairs and listened. There were rapid
movements overhead. The doctor's voice could be heard giving directions
through which sounded the steady crowing of the toy. "Hold him so--now
move him that way as I thump--now the other----"
Carey turned pale. "He's got that rooster in his throat," he said
solemnly. The rooster was nearly life-size, but the incongruity of this
suggestion did not strike him. Judith hastily rose from her chair and went
to him.
"Had we better go up?" he whispered.
"Heavens--no!" Judith clutched his arm. "We couldn't do any good. The
doctor's there. Such things make me ill. They ought not to have let him
have the toy to take to bed with him. How could it get into his throat?
Perhaps they are making it crow to divert him. Perhaps he's hurt himself
somehow."
"He's got the crow part of that thing in his throat," Carey persisted in
an anxious whisper. "The manufacturers ought to be prosecuted for making a
toy that will come apart like that."
"Don't stand there," protested his wife. "Maybe it's nothing. Come here
and sit down."
But Carey stood still. Presently Anthony came to the head of the stairs.
"Wayne," said he rapidly, "telephone Roger's office. Ask the trained
nurse, Miss Hughes, to send a messenger with the doctor's emergency
surgical case by the first train--he can catch the 9:40 if he's quick.
Tell Miss Hughes to follow as soon as she can get ready, prepared to stay
all night."
Then he disappeared. His voice had been steady and quiet, but his eyes had
showed his friend that the order was given under tension. Carey sprang to
the telephone, and his hand shook as he took down the receiver.
Upstairs Roger Barnes, in command, was giving cool, concise orders, his
eyes on his little patient. When he had despatched Juliet for various
things, including boiling water which she must get downstairs, he said to
Anthony in a conversational tone:
"It will probably not be safe to wait till my instruments get here, and
there's no surgeon near enough to call. I'm not going to take any chances
on this boy. If I see the necessity I'm going to get into that throat and
give him air. I shall want you and Carey to hold him. Juliet must be
downstairs."
Anthony nodded. He did not quite understand; but a few minutes later, when
Juliet had brought the boiling water, he suddenly perceived what his
friend meant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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