Jerry Rutherford laughed. "Westchester's discovered the prescription
all by itself," he said, "and they're just beginning to learn that
when a middle-aged American sheds his inhibitions, there's damn little
of him left. Now, you'd better run along and get packed for a stay
in Hartford. I'll phone Folsom and tell him you're driving over this
afternoon. He'll fix you up if anyone can."
"Swell!" I thanked him.
When I got back to Pook's Hill, I called the office and told Arthurjean
that I was leaving for a rest-cure at the Hartford Sanctuary and
to tell my partners that I didn't want to be disturbed by business
affairs until further notice. I asked her to get hold of Merriwether
Vail and meet me at the Sanctuary as soon as they could make it.
They were to bring the necessary papers so that I could deed over
$15,000 to Dr. Jeremiah Rutherford of Bedford Hills, to be paid in
monthly installments of $1,000 to his wife. I added that there was
nothing seriously wrong with me but that the best advice I could get
recommended a rest-cure to head off a possible nervous breakdown. Then
I said good-bye to Germaine, gave Ponto a farewell pat on the head and
piled into my Packard for the drive to Hartford.
The Sanctuary proved to be a large, pleasant brick building--something
about half-way between a country club and a summer hotel--in the better
groomed suburbs of Hartford, with a fine view of the Connecticut River.
The ample grounds were surrounded by a high spiked iron fence and the
gates to the driveway were closed, until I had identified myself to
the guard on duty. In fact, it reminded me of the routine of getting
admitted to the White House grounds, except that this time I was not
accompanied by General Wakely. At the front door, a uniformed attendant
took charge of my bags and gave directions to have my car sent to the
garage. Then I was ushered into one of those hospital waiting-rooms
that defy all interior-decorating efforts to give them a respectable,
homelike touch.
A few moments later, a pretty nurse in a white starched uniform
directed me to follow her. We went through a door, which she was
careful to lock behind her, along a corridor and up one flight of
stairs to a pleasantly furnished bedroom, where my bags were already
waiting for me. She told me to get undressed and go to bed--which I
did, after she had carefully unpacked my belongings, removing my razor
and my nail-file.
"Dr. Folsom will be by to see you in a few minutes, Mr. Tompkins," she
informed me. "Just ring if you want anything."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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