“Will he be well enough to go down to Marley to-night?” asked the
latter.
“You live out of town then?” returned the doctor. “There’s no place
where you could take him here in the city?”
“None, but a hotel,” rejoined Rex. “And I’m sure my mother would rather
have him home.”
At this point Sydney stirred and opened his eyes. He looked first at
the doctor, frowned deeply, and then as Rex came forward within his
range of vision, he beckoned the boy to him.
Rex hurried over and knelt by his side.
“Who is that?” asked Sydney.
“It’s a doctor. You fainted or something and Scott went out to get him.
How do you feel?”
“Pretty weak, but ask him to step into the next room a minute. I want
to speak to you.”
“Doctor, will you mind waiting in the next room a minute? My brother
wants to see me about something.”
Rex was afraid the physician might feel offended or else object to
leaving his patient, but he said, “Why, certainly,” and then came over
to take a close look at the young lawyer before leaving him.
As soon as he had gone Sydney put out one arm and passing it around
Rex’s neck, drew the boy’s ear close to his mouth.
“Did I say anything while I was unconscious?” he whispered.
“No,” replied Rex, mystified. “Nothing at all. But what does all this
mean, Syd? What is worrying you so terribly?”
“Don’t let it worry you and then it will worry me less. What time is
it?”
“Half past five.”
“Then we ought to catch the six o’clock train.”
“But you’re not strong enough to go now,” objected Rex. “You’re as pale
as a ghost.”
“Am I?” A wan smile lit up Sydney’s face for an instant “Well, then,
exercise will perhaps bring some of the color back. You can call the
doctor in now and we’ll see what he says.”
Scott arrived with the filled prescription just as Rex brought the
physician back into the room. Sydney objected to lying on the floor any
longer and they helped him to a chair.
“Yes, you can go home if you don’t do any walking,” said the doctor
after another examination.
“All right, I can go down in the elevator, get a carriage from the
hotel across the street and ride right up to the station. You rush down
and engage one, Rex. Scott will stay here and help the doctor down with
me. Then he can go along with us. Don’t lose any time, Reggie.”
With an immensely relieved mind Rex hurried off to execute the
commission. He had really feared at one time that Sydney was going to
die.
He was rallying rapidly now. When he entered the coach he took out his
pocketbook and paid the doctor for his services.
“We owe you something, Scott,” he added after they had started, “for
what you got at the drug store.”
Scott protested, but was in the end obliged to take what he had paid
out.
“It’s been an exciting afternoon for you fellows,” remarked Sydney, and
Rex could not help but notice that while his tone was light, his face
was still pale and that he did not look at them while he was speaking.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account