CHAPTER XVII
FENWAY'S DIVORCE GRANTED
"One moment, Miss Barnhelm!" Lola turned as she was about to enter thehotel, and found herself facing Alice Bradley, who had left the littlegroup about Molly and had followed her.
"Well? What do you want?"
"You brute! You beast!" Alice cried out, tears of pity and angerrunning down her cheeks. "How could you! You--you are not a woman; youare an animal!"
"If I were you, Miss Bradley, I should be careful what I said. As,perhaps you saw, I am not in a patient mood." Lola spoke quietly, butif Alice had not been carried away by her indignation she would hardlyhave dared to face the look in her eyes. "That dog hurt me; look; mywrist is bleeding. It hurt me, I tell you, and I can't bear pain! Iwon't bear it! I had a right to defend myself."
"Defend yourself," exclaimed Alice contemptuously, "against a poor,helpless little creature no larger than a kitten! You should be drivenaway from this hotel; you shall be, if I have anything to say aboutit! In fact you must leave here at once, or I shall go myself! That iswhat I am going to tell my father as soon as I see him."
"And when do you expect to see him?"
"As soon as he returns."
"Really? Not until then? Do you know that I feel quite sorry for you,Miss Bradley?"
She entered the hotel and went at once to her room, and when Dickknocked at her door a few moments later she refused to open it,telling him to wait for her on the front veranda.
Dick returned reluctantly to his friends; for once he agreed withthem. Lola's brutality was beyond all excuse. He was a kind-heartedfellow, and the sight of the little girl's sorrow over the death ofher favorite had moved him deeply. He found it hard to forgive Lola;he had made excuses for her times enough, but there had been somethingin the horror of this last scene difficult to forget. He found Bob andMrs. Harlan waiting on the veranda, and he knew by the way they lookedat him that they had made up their minds to some definite action.
"Dick," said Mrs. Harlan, as soon as he was within hearing, "we've hadenough, Bob and I; we're through!"
"Now, Madge----" he began soothingly.
"No, Dick, we like you, but we've had enough. We are going to New Yorkto-night. You can't say we haven't stood for a lot, but this thing hasmade me sick. The girl is crazy, or worse, and life's too short totake a chance on what she'll do next."
"You are going to leave me?"
"Yes."
"How about it, Bob?"
"Well, Dick, I'm no quitter, but for me it's 'goodnight, nurse.'"
"It's no business of mine, I suppose, Dick," Mrs. Harlan said, after amoment of awkward silence, "but we've been rather good friends for along time. I wish you'd come with us."
"And leave Lola?"
"Beat her to it; she'll leave you, if you don't."
"I--I love her, Madge."
"I know--well, good-bye, Dick; I'm going to pack."
"Good-bye, Madge; I'll see you again before you go."
Mrs. Harlan left them quickly; she knew that she was going to cry inanother minute. She was quite aware that no woman of her age couldafford to be seen in tears, and Bob had a particular hatred foranything of the sort. She went to her room and did her packing, thendecided to go and offer to help Bob with his things.
As she went down the hall she noticed that the door of Lola's room wasopen, and as she glanced in quickly she saw with surprise that Lola'strunks were locked and that the room was empty. She entered quicklyand looked about; Lola had gone; she saw that at a glance. Herhand-bag was missing, her toilet articles put away; nothing was insight but the two locked trunks. She had bolted. "A good thing, too,"she thought bitterly to herself, but she knew that she must hurry andlet Dick know.
She found the two men where she had left them over an hour before;they were seated silently looking out at the water, and they did noteven look up as she stopped beside them.
"Dick," she spoke gently, resting her hand for a moment on hisshoulder, "do you know where Lola is?"
"In her room. She told me to wait for her here."
"She's gone, Dick."
"What!"
"Gone! You'd better ask them at the desk, but her trunks are locked;there's no doubt about it; she has gone."
"Where could she go? What are you talking about?"
"Hush," she said quickly. "Here is Miss Bradley. You don't want her toknow."
Alice Bradley stopped before them, an open letter in one hand, a bankcheck in the other. She was very pale and looked frightened.
"Mr. Fenway, they tell me at the office that Miss Barnhelm left thehotel over an hour ago. Do you know where she has gone?"
"Why do you ask?" demanded Mrs. Harlan, with a sudden flash ofunderstanding.
"See!" Alice held out the check and the letter. "My father has leftme! This letter was brought by a messenger. He says he was called awayon business, and for me to remain here with my aunt, who arrivesto-night. That woman has taken him away from me! My father--who hasalways been so good to me--taken him away from me; do you hear?"
"Telegram for you, Mr. Fenway." A bell-boy came up to Dick, holdingout a telegram. "Just came, sir."
"It's all right!" Dick sprang up and, seeing the envelope, tore itopen. "She wouldn't leave me without a word! I knew she wouldn't. Shehas gone, yes, but she's wired me where to join her!" He opened themessage and read it at a glance, then without a word, but with a lookon his face that brought the tears to soft-hearted Mrs. Harlan's eyes,he handed her the message and turned and left them. She read it aloud.It was from his lawyer in Cleveland, and read, "Divorce arranged.Congratulations."