Show 0 1 i 11 i 1 4 r Y t I l two keys to a cabin BY B Y LIDA L I D A LARRIMORE I R E O 0 MACRAE SMITH CO SERVICE CHAPTER XI XI X m IG r. r John stood looking at lt a postcard post from Dr Sargeant A crescent moon mo n reflected itself In dark blue water A round white tower a n light light- lighthouse lighthouse house perhaps rose against a star star- strewn sky A slim red boat with witha a half furled sail lay at anchor against a strip of land where dark trees grew Constantinople Phen Constantinople Phen- Phen Phener er The lettering conveyed nothing to his mind but the boat reminded him of the red canoe at atthe atthe atthe the lake He stood thinking of the cabin of Gay GayA Gay Gay- A voice addressed him He turned to see Abbie descending the stairs walking heavily her hand sliding along the rail her white apron c cracking with starch her round high high- colored face wreathed in an amia amia- amiable amiable ble smile Hello Abbie Abbie John Jehn said Abbie had lived with the for years She was more a member of the family than a servant as Hul- Hul Huldah Huldah Huldah dah was in his mothers mother's home You In for good she asked halting at the newel post I hope so Ill Til have supper on In half an hour You sure your ears arent aren't frost bitten she asked with kindly concern Its just coming In where Its It's warm that makes them red Id advise you to rub snow on em Abbie Abbe said Its a heathen heathen- heathenish ish life a doctors doctor's called on to live I dont don't know why at your age youre you're so set on it Give me the word if youre you're called out sos so's I can canI I set something In the oven The office was shadowy with dusk John switched on a light and dropped into the chair at the Doctors Doctor's desk Dr Sargeant would have known how to handle that whining creature hed he'd called on this afternoon he thought lighting a cigarette He himself had been unable to sympathize sympathize with the th woman who had v poured into his somewhat embar- embar embarrassed b 1 ears a stream of self pity 4 j and imagined symptoms His ex ex- examination examination examination had checked with notes on the case he had found in the Doctors Doctor's files flies Physically she was wasas wasas wasas as sound as a nut His sympathy had been all for her husband poor wretch No definitely he hadn't a bed bed- bedside bedside bedside side manner John pulled the desk memorandum toward him There were fewer notations than usual written in the clear handwriting of Miss Sprague Dr Sargeant's secre secre- secretary secretary secretary tary and office nurse One nota nota- notation notation notation tion was made in writing quite dif dif- different different different ferent from Miss Spragues It asked him to call the Congress Square Ho Ho- Hotel Hotel Hotel tel Room No name was ap ap- ap- ap A guest perhaps who re re- required required re- re required the services of a doctor He should make the call In a few minutes when hed he'd gotten warm and had finished his cigarette cigarette- He would be glad when this period pe pe- period period of marking time had passed and md he could go on with the work he enjoyed John tilted back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk He would never be happy in jn ina ina a practice He liked the stark facts of science unconfused by human contacts the crystal hardness of truth that could be checked and proved He had thought that he might experiment a little on the side Perhaps he could when he had hade e become more accustomed to the routine of office hours and calls For the present he was too tired when his long day had ended to do anything more exacting than read for a little or talk to Mary Adams before he went early to bed The crescent moon and the red boat on the postcard the Doctor had sent recalled the cabin again He should nave have nad had a letter from irom Gay She had been in Florida when last he had heard from her It was impossibly for him to imagine the life lile she lived there As always when his mind dwelled upon the dis dissimilarity dis- dis dissimilarity similarity of their separate environ environ- environments environments ments a chill of apprehension set- set sett t tied about his heart He comforted himself by recalling the night she had seen him off oft at the station in New York But a great many Wed Wed- Wednesdays Wednesdays Wednesdays had passed since then and she had not come The memories of her which he liked best to recall went back to the time they had spent at the cabin He lie found himself skipping over the visit to New York There was he thought deliberation beneath that apparently subconscious evasion When he be recalled the visit to New NewYork NewYork NewYork York incidents presented themselves them them- themselves themselves selves which demanded clear am and logical thought It was more pleas picas pleasant ant to feel about Gay than to think Now while she was so far away from him when anything might be t happeningS happening it was disturbing to think He should begin again the expert ment he had abandoned at the cab cab- in If he could become interested in something of the sort he would r 5 1 stop this useless brooding over Gay It was that he admitted to him hm- himself self sel with reluctant honesty rather than fatigue or lack of time tune which had prevented his bs original plan of converting the small room in which the Doctor kept supplies into a lab lab- oratory In his leisure moments when he was not actively engaged In n keeping together the Doctors Doctor's practice his mind was so filled with thoughts noughts of Gay that there was no room for anything else It was likely like like- likely ly y to be harmful and certainly a waste of time He must stop it He would call the hotel Miss Sprague was almost terrifyingly ef- ef efficient She would be sure to ask him lim if he had when she returned for forthe forthe the he evening office hours He took his lis feet from tom the desk sat for for- forward forward forward ward reached for foP the telephone telephone- Todd Janeway was In Palm Beach Gay had spoken of it in a recent letter He was attractive There here was a strong bond between Gay and him He remembered how she he had looked the night they had coasted on the Janeway estate when she he had returned to him after climb- climb climbIng climbing Ing ng the slope with With ith Todd rested re re- relaxed lazed axed eager to fa o be with him again She had bad broken away from Todd and nd come swiftly to him smiling through the fire light How strong was that bond Had Hadlis his lis trip to New York convinced her that she had made a mistake He wouldn't think of it His hand reached cached for the telephone again halted knotted Into a fist fist fist- A rap sounded at the door He ignored it At a second rap he wrenched his thoughts from an imaginary scene on a moonlit moon beach in n Florida and made a somewhat irritable reply The door opened Mary Adams Dr r. r Sargeant's daughter stood hes- hes hesitantly hesitantly on the threshold Im sorry she said all aU right Mary Johns John's face ace cleared Arc Are you In a good humor Fairly so Why I have an apology to make for formy formy formy my younger son Contact with the tropical tr pic l sunshine had nad ii d given en n Mary I iy Adams' Adams skin a permanent tan She was vas slight and worn at thirty from having laving dutifully and gladly fol- fol followed followed lowed owed the fleet from tom having had two babies each In a different lan lan- language language language guage as she expressed it from the he struggle to keep up the necessary sary ary front on a naval lieutenants lieutenant's pay But her dark eyes in the sharp pixie like brownness of her face were animated and cheerful and the stories she told of her vagrant ex ex- existence were a source of amuse amuse- amusement amusement ment to John What has Skippy been up to he asked Look John She held out a crumpled sheet of yellow paper This telegram came for you yes yes- yesterday erday afternoon I left it on the the table able in the hall and supposed you'd gotten it when you came in But Skippy must have You know how howle's howles hes he's always looking for letters from Nat I found it in n the pocket of the sweater he had on yesterday I think hink hes he's eaten most of it There isn't much left John took the paper from her hand The only typewritten words which remained legible were NOON TOMORROW TOMORROW GAY GAY Y He looked up from the paper to Mary Adams Abbie took t ok a telephone message just after noon when Miss Mss Sprague was out for lunch It was from tom the Congress Square Do you suppose that was Gay he asked In a dazed voice Abbie Abbe said it was a lady She never gets names straight you know When I found the telegram I was pretty sure sure sure- I Then she's been here all after after- noon John ran his fingers through his hair effecting crisp disorder Why didn't you call the hotel I considered it but I thought she might wonder why I read your tele tele- grams What will she think of me John asked still stUl in a dazed and be be- bewildered bewildered bewildered voice Marys Mary's face twinkled with sympathetic sympathetic sympathetic excitement I 1 ve ye spanked Skippy if that makes you feel bet bet- better better ter she said bring her here wont won't you May I For dinner if you like We can open the emergency bottle of olives Or maybe you'd rather rather- After dinner he said Will you take care of her during office hours Is it imposing Imposing Im I'm Im I'm hysterical with excitement Johns John's diffident smile widened Into an irrepressible grin Mary he asked did you ever feel as as though somebody had socked you in inthe inthe inthe the pit of your stomach and a mil mU- million lion stars were bursting inside of your head He reached for the telephone Mary moved toward the doorway smiling L. JM I feel that way every time Nat's ship steams into port she said sad gently and went out and closed the I door John laid down the menu card and the waiter walter moved away He smiled diffidently across the nar nar- narrow narrow narrow row table t ble at Gay GayA GayA GayA A straw hat he said Youve torn several leaves off the calen calen- dar This afternoon I was sure we were in for a blizzard Dont you like it Her smile was constrained Im more polite than you were Its It's nice Looks like a halo Have you had a pleasant winter Very pleasant thank you I got gota a little weary of palm trees and bathing suits though I wanted to see snow Is that why you came Well variety variety- You look look look- Her glance dropped from his face to the table She constructed a wigwam with a knife a fork two spoons Are you working hard You haven't forgiven me mc have you His voice voca softened He bent toward her across the table I Ir r- r M a 1 p t rs I u He Be would be glad when this period pe pe- period period of marking time has bas passed dont don't blame you It was dreary not notto notto notto to be met at the station I cant can't tell teU you how sorry I am What did you do all afternoon Stayed in n my room It has matching draperies and counterpane the color of melted raspberry sher sher- sherbet sherbet bet There are lis de light gray on darker gray running lengthwise in the carpet from tom the window to the door Is that all you could find to amuse you His laugh was tant Oh no Her voice was light and quick I read the telephone directory directory directory tory and the Bible The Psalms are arc rather wonderful I think I I should have liked to know Da Da- Da- Da vid Is he the same David that killed Goliath I wanted to ask you Im I'm sure that your Biblical training was more sound than mine Gay look at me She lifted her eyes A smile half trembled across her lips Ups You had a miserable afternoon didn't you Alone and thinking thinking- What did you think I spent most of the time wishing that my impulsive nature had been more rigidly disciplined in early youth Im glad it t Are you The smile half faded Do you remember the night I left New York you told me that you'd yo d come to see me some Wednes Wednes- Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday day afternoon She nodded Every Tuesday night since then Ive I've thought Wednes Wednes- day Maybe Gay will come Today is Tuesday I couldn't wait waft until tomorrow They broke into soft laughter free from constraint The waiter placed food before them hovered That will wUl be all John said In Indefinite indefinite indefinite definite dismissal The effect you have on waiters and taxi drivers and bellhops hops he continued to Gay when the man who had served them had stationed himself at a discreet dis dis- distance distance distance tance against the wall beside a thicket of potted palms Ive been in n here pretty often and no waiter walter ever hovered over me like 3 a setting setting- hen over an egg Egg Eggl I hate you youl She laughed What are you going to do with me Kiss you again as soon as I get geta a n chance Her eyes softened and md shone The crisp frills on her blouse ruffling ruffing out over the jacket of If her dark tailored suit rose and fell her quick quick- quickened quickened quickened ened breathing Im trying to be practical You make It very dill dill- difficult cult Am I to stay here at the hotel Certainly not not His expression was offended But I dont don't mind Now that I know youre you're glad I came Im I'm sure Ill I'll become attached to the fleur- fleur fleurdelis lis dc-lis and the sherbet raspberry counterpane Youre to stay at Dr Sargeant's tonight Mary sends you the tion Mary lary Dr Sargeant's Sergeants daughter Mary Adams mother of Skippy and Rear Rear- Admiral Byrd Her eyes widened John Are you delirious I think I am a little I cant can't get used to having you here I was referring however to Marys Mary's older son Nat He was being Admiral Byrd this afternoon in the swing They're nice kids I think you'll like Mary The headwaiter patrolling halted beside the table Everything satisfactory sir he asked addressing John but with his eyes sliding toward Gay Yes thank you John said curtly The steak is broiled as you like it in The headwaiters headwaiter's suave dis dis- discreetly discreetly erectly interested glance was for Gay Not too rare or too well done Its very nice thank you The headwaiter strolled off John scowled then grinned You see he said That never happened to me The desk clerk told him who you are Oh nonsense You attach too much importance tomy to- to my name No No- Nobody Nobody body in Maine ever heard of me I dont don't believe it Well if that's true its it's the way you look They think youre you're a movie star That golden brown tan tan tan- Dont you like it I worked aw aw- awfully awfully aw- aw awfully fully hard to get it Maybe I could have myself bleached Dont D nt you dar dare he said I Ilove Ilove love it Youre You're freckles scarcely show at all all She made a laughing grimace Not that I object to the freckles he said His Hs voice softened His dark eyes regarding her across the table were bright but tenderly grave I love everything about you Youre You're a little taking breath-taking until I get used to you I think I remember but each time youre you're a shock You have beautiful bones Cant you forget your profession for half hal an hour Good Lord LordI No I cant He glanced at his watch We must go Office hours He halted in the process of pulling back his chair But you haven't eaten anything anything- Neither have you The head- head headwaiter headwaiter waiter walter will think the steak was too well wen done or too rare And all nU these lovely French fried potatoes Ive got to go Gay He signaled the waiter You stay and finish and come up to Dr Sargeant's in a cab cabs I will not Her voice was in in- I didn't come all the way to Portland Maine to eat French fried tied potatoes TO BE CONTINUED |