Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

740 I had lost all my tremors now, but I was a thousandfold more restless. I must get word to Macgillivray at once—no, that was too dangerous—to Mary. I glanced at the telephone and resolved to trust to my luck. I got through to the Wymondhams’ house without difficulty. Barnard the butler an- swered, and informed me that Mary was at home. Then, after a few seconds I heard her voice. “Mary,” I said, “the day is changed to the second of June. You understand, warn everybody. I can’t think why you are worrying about that child,” I went on. - For I was conscious that Medina had entered the room. I managed with my knee to close the shallow drawer with the two sheets in it, and I nodded and smiled to him, putting my hand over the receiver. ‘“‘ Forgive me using your telephone. Fact is, my wife’s in London and she sent me round a note here asking me to ring her up. She’s got the boy on her mind.” I put the tube to my ear again. Mary’s voice sounded sharp and high-pitched. “ Are you there? I’m in Mr. Medina’s library and I can’t disturb him talking through this machine. There’s no cause to worry about Peter John. Greenslade is fussy enough, and if he’s calm, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be. But if you want another opinion, why not get it? We may as well get the thing straightened out now, for I may be going abroad early in June. Yes, sometime after the second.” Thank God, Mary was quick-witted. “The second is very near. Why do you make such sudden plans, Dick? I can’t go home without seeing you. I think I'll come straight to Hill Street.” “ All right,” I said, ‘‘ do as you please.” T rang off and looked at Medina with a wry smile. ‘‘ What fussers women are! Do you mind if my wife comes round here? She won’t be content till she has seen me. She has come up with a crazy notion of taking down a surgeon to give an opinion on the child’s appendix. Tommyrot! But that’s a woman’s way.” He clearly suspected nothing. ‘“ Cer- tainly let Lady Hannay come here. We'll give her tea. I’m sorry that the drawing- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. room is out of commission just now. She might have liked to see my miniatures..” Mary appeared in ten minutes, and most nobly she acted her part. It was the very model of a distraught silly mother who bustled into the room. Her eyes looked as if she had been crying and she managed to disarrange her hat and untidy her hair. “Oh, I’ve been so worried,” she wailed, after she had murmured apologies to Medina. “ He really has had a bad tummy pain, and nurse thought last night that he was feverish, I’ve seen Mr. Dobson-Wray. He’s coming down by the four forty-five. He’s such a precious little boy, Mr. Medina, that I feel we must take every precaution with him. If Mr. Dobson-Wray says it is all right, I promise not to fuss any more. I think a second opinion would please Dr. Greenslade, for he too looked rather auxious. Oh, no, thank you so much, but I can’t stop for tea. I have a taxi waiting, and I might miss my train. I’m going to pick up Mr. Dobson-Wray in Wimpole Street.” She departed in the same tornado in which she had come, just stopping to set her hat straight at one of the mirrors in the hall. “Of course, I’ll wire when the surgeon has seen him. And, Dick, you’ll come down at once if there’s anything wrong, and bring nurses. Poor, poor little darling! Did you say after the second of June, Dick? I do hope you'll be able to get off. You need a holiday away from your tiresome family. Good-by, Mr. Medina. It was so kind of you to be patient with a silly mother. Look after Dick and don’t let him worry.” I had preserved admirably the aloof air of the bored and slightly ashamed husband. But now I realized that Mary was not bab- bling at large but was saying something which I was meant to take in. “Poor, poor little darling!” she crooned as she got into a taxi. “Ido pray he’ll be all right—I think he may, Dick—I hope, oh I hope—to put your mind at ease—before the second of June.” As I turned back to Medina I had a notion that the poor little darling was no longer Peter John. ~ TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK CORMIC LOOKS CO