CHAPTER XXVIII
CONFIDENCES
"Now, Tom," called Duncan Bennet to his chauffeur, after Clip hadjoined Cora, "you had better slow up some. The young ladies may wantto find out whether or not they still wear hats." They had ridden fastand far.
"Oh!" exclaimed Clip, "I never had such a delightful ride. I supposethat is what you call being motor mad--going and going until you cannotgo fast enough. They say it is a disease, isn't it, doctor?"
"I believe it is so defined," answered Duncan with mock dignity. "Butwe are not to talk disease, if you please, young lady," and he smiled acommand which might easily be interpreted to mean: "You must rest fromthat sort of thing for a while."
Cora turned to look back over the dusty road. Her face, usually aliveto every mood, was strangely set--as if too anxious to venture a changeof expression. Duncan from the front seat saw her look.
"Oh, he is not coming," he said. "No need to worry now. We are acrossthe State line."
"I never was so frightened in my life," admitted Cora. "Not that I wasafraid of going to court, but I was mortally afraid we would not beable to make the run in time. I should have known better, however, forTom had qualified before to-day."
"Tom knows just how fast this machine ought to go," added Duncan. "Idon't mind Tom hearing it, either."
The chauffeur smiled in acknowledgment to the compliment. It had beena hard run, and the Chelton lawyer had only turned back at the lastmile post.
"Wonder where that motor-cycle officer is now?" remarked Cora. "I meanConstable Hanna."
"Oh, he's out having a good time on what he earned this morning,"answered Duncan. "One hold-up in a day is plenty for Hanna."
"I have scarcely had a chance to speak to you, Clip," Cora began, asher nervousness vanished. "I am so glad to see you."
"Well, you have been looking whole vocabularies at me, Cora, in manyand various languages," said Clip in her own inimitable way. "I havebeen wondering whether you had turned into a Sphynx or just Liberty."
"But, Clip, I did have a fright. Suppose I should have had to give upthe run, and go to that stuffy old courtroom!"
"Well, I am glad you didn't," answered Clip sincerely. "I do thinkthat a courtroom is about the meanest place I have ever visited--and Ihave been in a lot of queer places. And the girls," went on Clip."Whatever will they say to you two runaways?"
"What won't they say?" replied Duncan. "I am not to blame, of course.Miss Cora simply inveigled me into allowing her to ride with me--"
"I saw Reed pass over the back country road a moment ago," interruptedTom. "I might guess where he is going."
"Where?" asked the trio in a breath.
"To that junk shop on the turnpike," replied Tom. "He seems to thinkthe shop is haunted with a valuable ghost. He goes out there almostdaily."
"You mean the antique shop?" asked Cora. "Oh, I know. He is after atable. I am sure it is he who has given the order--" She stopped--herfinger on her lip. Tom seemed to know so much--what if he should knowabout the missing table? "Have you any idea what he is after?" askedCora directly.
"Well, I ought to know," replied Tom, "for he has made no secret of it.He has searched every attic from Breakwater to Moreland. I caught anold junk dealer in our barn the other morning, and while I watched himget down the road I saw Reed come along. Of course, he had hired theman to search where he himself could not go. He is after some sort ofancient rustic table, I believe."
Clip and Cora exchanged meaning looks. Cora had not for a momentforgotten about the antique man's promise to have the original table ina few days. She was to see this and then--
"We are not out of the woods yet," remarked Clip. "I am thinking,Duncan, that you have undertaken a large contract. You have positivelyagreed to have me back in Chelton by to-morrow afternoon at fouro'clock."
"Oh, we will see about that," replied the physician with a sly look atCora. "There is a telephone in Breakwater--"
"Duncan Bennet! If I thought I should be late for the 'clearing-up'to-morrow I would start right now," declared Clip most emphatically.
"Oh, you won't be. We will fix it so the 'clearing-up' will be latefor you. I suppose you think everything that ever happened is going torepeat itself to-morrow afternoon, just because one Miss Cecilia Thayeris going--"
"Hush, Duncan! Cora does not know one word about it. She may haveguessed, but that is not knowing, is it, Cora?"
"I confess to a keen curiosity," answered Cora, "but as a matter offact I expect to be very much busy myself to-morrow. Just now I cannotsee how it is all going to be managed."
"Well, when the Chelton boys arrive I guess the girls will not be soparticular about their time," said Duncan. "I fancy even the captainwill have to show somebody the beauties of Breakwater. But hark!Wasn't that Daisy? I just heard a breath. We are only about ten milesfrom home--Daisy can easily breathe that long when she is excited. Oh,I am just aching to hear what they will say, Cora," and he laughed."I'll wager Ray will be the aggrieved one. She will likely manage tokeep out of the work, don't you think so?"
Cora did not reply in so many words, but she looked acquiescence.Certainly those who knew Ray appreciated her ability to take care ofher own personal self at the risk of all other matters. But Cora wasthinking of something else--of Wren and the medical report. She knewbetter than to ask Duncan outright what might have been the result oftheir inquiry. Nevertheless, she could not refrain from "begging thequestion."
"Is little Wren happy?" she asked, without apology for the sudden turnin their conversation.
"Well, just now," replied Duncan very seriously, "she can scarcely beexpected to realize either happiness or unhappiness, for we had to giveher a powerful anesthetic."
"For an operation?" Cora could not refrain from asking. Clip showed nocuriosity, and Cora knew at once that she was acquainted with thecircumstances.
"Something of that kind," answered Duncan vaguely. "But put your mindat rest--the child has every chance of ultimate recovery. The troublewas the wrong treatment. We use purely physical training for that sortof thing."
"Could the neglect have been intentional?" asked Cora further. She hadin mind the "quack" doctor so long sent to Salveys' by the Rolandbranch of the family.
"Oh, I wouldn't like to venture an opinion on that," replied Duncan,"but ignorance is closely allied to criminal negligence."
Clip set her deep dark eyes in a tense, strained expression. Then theyall fell to thinking, and for a time conversation ceased.
"Ten more telegraph poles and we run into Breakwater," announcedDuncan, while Tom eyed his speedometer. "Then for our reception!"
It seemed but two minutes, at most, from that announcement thatDuncan's machine turned into the Bennet estate.