| Show THE fhe LIFE OF THE PARTY PA quit A BY ELIZABETH JORDAN 0 D apollon C ina WIM service CHAPTER VI continued 16 that was something rex carried into his bedroom the warming conviction that at least it was not his hostess who wanted to frighten him away from halcyon camp this did not take him far on his mental journey for he had never thought that it was he undressed rapidly and got into bed he was glad to be there he was not wholly over his earlier experience notwithstanding his gallant assertions the evening had been a hard one he fell asleep about one he was awakened almost immediately dia tely it seemed to him by a hand that clutched his arm and a voice that babbled incoherently at his bedside he sat up with a jerk and simultaneously flashed on the light at the head of his bed down in the hall the big clock was striking three halcyon camps pet hour for nocturnal visits he had slept only two hours but he was already as wideawake wide awake as he had ever been in his life his instant thought had been of joan it was herbert kneeland however who mouthed and jabbered jabberer jabb ered at his bedside hale for gods sakes wake up hale hale good lord man I 1 am awake the matter anyone sick hurt As he spoke hale shook off the clutching hand sprang out of bed seized his dressing gown from the chair where he had flung it and slipped it over his pajamas so distraught was his visitor that hale had to break away almost by force from the others frantic grasp he now seized the young mans shoulders pressed him backward into a chair and stood over him still gripping him and trying to steady him by eyes and hands kneeland pull yourself together tell me happened quick every second may count nothing has happened kneeland pulled away from the others grip and added with the gulp of a terror stricken child 1 I I 1 just cant stand it all oh god hale crossed the room to the open door closed it and locked it he remembered now that he had forgotten to lock it when he went to bed now he said quietly tell me what this is all about I 1 think I 1 understand it but tell me anyway Kne elands head had been swinging from side to side now it steadied ie d suddenly he stared at hale incredulously but with a dawning hope you you understand he gasped he added under his breath and with a desperate backward glance at the closed door what do you understand rex answered the look not the words dont worry he soothed the door is locked we wont be interrupted quiet down now and explain he added gently but with deep meaning he cant get in kneeland drew a quick breath and covered his eyes with his hands what must you think of me he muttered 1 I think youre the victim of one of the most hellish schemes that was ever tried on a poor devil hale said simply what I 1 cant understand is why youve let it go on so long how could I 1 help myself there are a dozen ways in which you could have helped yourself youre helping yourself now by coming to me and letting me straighten out this tangle why you go to someone long ago who could I 1 go to who would have understood and believed you see you here and he hes so infernally clevert clever 1 I know hale spoke with difficulty the unconscious pathos of that one sentence you see you here had caught him by the throat well its over now he said cheerfully we must he was interrupted by a sharp rap at the door kneeland straightened as if under a galvanic shock then cried out frantically dont let him in hale oh ch hale for gods sake dont let him in well let him in all right hale said grimly ive got something important to say to that gentleman but I 1 promise you that ill keep you with me tonight and this is the last time you will ever have to see him he started to rise but lC kneeland heeland sprang at him caught his arms and tried to hold him back he was like a madman in his terror but he had little strength rex disengaged himself without difficulty and pushed the young man back into his chair be quiet he said you got a thing to be afraid of but we must have a showdown show down and this is the best time for it sit tight and leave everything to me I 1 understand the whole devilish situation A knock struck the door again it was sharply imperative kneeland W was as acost beyond reason he was in a frenzy of animal fear rex got him down on the chair and went to the door he opened it and doctor craig strode in the doctor was cool and imperturbable he nodded to hale then glanced at kneeland the young man cowered back against his chair with a groan as if the glance had been a blow craigs tone was quietly friendly 1 I see my patient is here he said 1 I thought he would be he has taken quite a fancy to you I 1 hope he disturbed you hes been in a bad way the last few days ill take him along now no craig you wont take him along hale told him hes going to stay right here by the time hes up tomorrow morn morning i ng 11 he added incisively you will will le be out of the house for good Is that quite clear its quite clear that youre mak ing a fool of yourself again hale craig said mildly you mean well but this is another situation you dont understand I 1 hoped the other break you made would be a lesson to you 1 I understand your whole damnable scheme hale brought out curtly if you think I 1 dont sit down and make yourself comfortable and ill prove it will you have a cigarette he picked up the box and offered it craig looked at him it was a long straight look are you authorized to act for mr kneeland he asked at last yes craig I 1 am sit down and ill tell you why craig still ignored the invitation are you taking my patient out of my hands he asked with the same calmness the answer to both your questions is yes sit down craig sat down near the smoking table his back to the door hale drew a chair forward and sat down facing him at their left kneeland cowered like a terrified animal again craig gave hale a long thoughtful look but he did not speak rex went on ive been going into your case craig hale said slowly ever since I 1 got gothere here you arent really very clever if most of the people around you been either self obsessed or as bad as you are yourself you would have been discovered and kicked out as soon as you began to develop your little scheme its a very elemental scheme if you had been more patient and intelligent you might have carried it out but you were in too much of a hurry especially after I 1 got here you wanted to get to vienna and study you wanted a steady income there while you were doing your work last year it occurred to you that by convincing your best friend who has plenty of money or can get it in an em emergency er that he was inheriting his mothers insanity and in sending him off his head by constant and hellish suggestions you could get him to go with you to vienna supposedly for treatment there he paused a moment then went on it was a very pretty plan from your viewpoint you let bert infer that you alone could save him from a madhouse you had a patient very susceptible to suggestion you could have kept him in vienna a year or two you could have convinced him that you were keeping him out of an asylum you could have handled the purse strings and you could have taken damned good care that he never saw another psychiatrist while he was there you would have sent reassuring reports to his anxious father in one way or another you would have kept him there till you finished your own course of study and experiments hales voice rose as his bis temper rose rosa it if incidentally you really drove brov the boy mad while you had him there he went on it would have been just too bad probably that part of your scheme your plan was to give him just enough treatment to keep him about where he is now terrorized desperately afraid of you and yet trusting you as his only anchor he was your best friend he has always been he has kept you here he has fitted up a laboratory for you that any man in your position would be proud of what was your return for all this you have put him through hell bell compared to what you were doing to him plain murder would have been a merciful thing when I 1 think of what you have made him suffer I 1 could strangle you with my bare hands you fool craig was choking with fury ill make you regret this hale bitle ignored the interruption and all the time doctor craig he emphasized the title with such bitter irony that craig whitened under the word you knew that he was in no more danger of insanity than you are or I 1 am you knew that his mother suffered from puerperal insanity which is due to complications in childbirth and is not N I 1 the answer to both your questions is yes sit down hereditary bert kneeland was nervously run down but he was in no more danger of insanity than you are A choking gasp came from behind them kneeland had straightened up he was stammering out almost incoherent words hale Is that straight are you certain of that god in he heaven averil I 1 hale turned and looked at him im certain of it he said quietly you could have been certain of it it if you had the initiative to go to any honest physician andack and ask doctor nick crosby who is oni only y two miles away and who attended your mother till she died would have told jold you that you had nothing to fear he told me that so did two psychiatrists chave I 1 have consulted any honest physician would have burst craigs infernal bubble for you ive let hourun on you fool craig said with white fury ive given you eni enough ough rope to hang yourself with and youre doing it shut up hales fire had died down he spoke wearily its my turn to talk now and yours to listen youve been averaging five or six hours of steady talk to herbert kneeland out of every twenty four and I 1 think hes had enough of it so have I 1 if youre wise you 11 keep quiet and learn leam going to happen to you when I 1 tell you that please remember that im speaking for casper kneeland I 1 think he added slowly 1 I am speaking for his son too Is that right bert yes ah oh god yes dont let him come near me again you dont know what he has put me through I 1 kneeland was still shaking and cowering but his eyes were quieter dont I 1 hale looked at him and then at craig 1 I think ive just proved that I 1 do damn youl you craig jerked out between his teeth ive had enough of this raving 1 I dont doubt you have hale agreed im spoiling all your plans and they were working so nicely till I 1 came my appearance here rattled you and hurried you bert told me last week you wanted him to sail with you the middle of july you told him he was in very bad shape you scared him out of his hi remaining wits you were pretty stupid about him after you got frightened you might have had a madman mad man on your hands in a few weeks more and all the time you thought you were so clever 1 encouraging cou raging him one day and casting him into the depths depth of despair the next day A chap with less pluck than kneeland would have smashed under it weeks ago but hes young and strong hell soon be himself again he turned to kneeland the young man had stopped trembling he drew his chair close to hale but as far from craig as the circle would permit and sat down so youre a psychiatrist too il craig sneered his face was livid his voice a hiss again he looked as venomous as the cobra he had suggested in the upper hall that naon noon no im not a psychiatrist hale acknowledged placidly but I 1 got some expert advice about this case ive talked to your superiors in new york craig ive a letter ilmy in my pocket from doctor docto marcel michel of paris a friend of mine I 1 fancy abu you know him by reputation what craig was out ot of his chair now youve been slandering me to my associates you interfering hound theres a penalty for slander and pay it not until the grievance committee of the new york county medical society has acted on your case hale said gently and certainly not after your license to practice e medicine has been revoked he watched craig sink back in his chair after that blow and went on conversationally I 1 weve a very strong case against you doctor again he underlined the word A statement signed by mr kneeland by bert himself by miss joan kneeland by mrs wilbur nash by me and even by ainsworth would interest the new york county medical society very much craig stood up op bert kneeland is off his head he said slowly so are you but theres a limit to what a doctor can be expected to endure from his patients and their fool friends I 1 shall ta kethe first train from here in the morning good hale said heartily now ill tell you what else youre going to do wait a minute he ordered as craig started for the door this is important craig waited his hand on the doorknob door knob TO BE CONTINUED |
