But the need must be
something serious and urgent, else he never would have sent for me.
With a family like his almost anything might happen. Perhaps Aunt
Elizabeth--I never could feel any confidence in a red-haired female who
habitually dressed in pink. Or perhaps Charles Edward--if that young
man's artistic ability had been equal to his sense of it there would
have been less danger in taking him into the factory. Or probably
Maria, with her great head for business--oh, Maria, I grant you, is
like what the French critic said of the prophet Habakkuk, "capable de
tout."
But why puzzle any longer over that preposterous telegram? If my friend
Talbert was in any kind of trouble under the sun, there was just one
thing that I wanted--to get to him as quickly as possible. Find when
the first train started and arrived--send a lucid despatch--no
expensive parsimony in telegraphing:
'"To Cyrus Talbert, Eastridge, Massachusetts:
"I arrived this morning on the Dilatoria and found your telegram here.
Expect me on the noon train due at Eastridge five forty-three this
afternoon. I hope all will go well. Count on me always. Gerrit Wendell."
It was a relief to find him on the railway platform when the train
rolled in, his broad shoulders as square as ever, his big head showing
only a shade more of gray, a shade less of red, in its strawberry roan,
his face shining with the welcome which he expressed, as usual, in
humorous disguise.
Pages:
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293