The Witness, Grace Livingston Hill Lutz [the little red hen ebook .TXT] 📗

She Had Punished Him Sufficiently

For Any Offense He Might Knowingly Or Unknowingly Have Committed. That

She Really Had Begun To Admire Courtland,  And To Desire Him In Some

Degree For Her Own,  Only Added Fuel To Her Fire. This Girl Whom He Had

Dared To Pity Should Be Burned And Tortured; She Should Be Insulted And

Extinguished Utterly,  So That She Would Never Dare To Lift Her Head

Again Within Recognizable Distance Of Paul Courtland,  Or She Would Know

The Reason Why. Paul Courtland Was _Hers_--If She Chose To Have Him; Let

No Other Girl Dare To Look At Him!

 

The Nurse Stood,  Starched And Stern,  With Growing Indignation At The

Audacity Of The Stranger. Only The Petrification Of Absolute

Astonishment,  And Wonder As To What Would Happen Next,  Took Her Off Her

Guard For The Moment And Prevented Her From Ousting The Young Lady From

The Premises Instantly. There Was Also The Magic Name Of The Handsome

Young Gentleman That Had Been Used As Password,  And The Very Slight

Possibility That This Might Be Some Rich Relative Of The Lovely Young

Patient That She Would Not Like To Have Put Out. The Nurse Looked From

Bonnie To The Visitor In Growing Wrath And Perplexity.

 

Bonnie Lay Wide-Eyed And Amazed,  Startled Bewilderment And Growing

Dignity In Her Face. Two Soft,  Pink Spots Of Color Began To Bloom Out In

Her Cheeks,  And Her Eyes Took On A Twinkle Of Amusement. She Was

Watching The Visitor As If She Were A Passing Punch-And-Judy Show Come

In To Play For A Moment For Her Entertainment. She Lay And Regarded Her

And Her Tawdry Display Of Finery With A Quiet,  Disinterested Aloofness

That Was Beginning To Get On Gila's Nerves.

 

"You Can Have My Flowers,  Too,  If You Want Them," Said Gila,  Excitedly,

Seeing That Her Flood Of Insult Had Brought Forth No Answering Word From

Either Listener. "They're Very Handsome,  Rare Ones--Orchids,  You Know.

Did You Ever See Any Before? I Don't Mind Leaving Them With You Because

Chapter 13 Pg 74

I Have A Great Many Flowers,  And These Were Given Me By A Young Man I

Don't Care In The Least About."

 

She Unpinned The Flowers And Held Them Out To Bonnie,  But The Sick Girl

Lay Still And Regarded Her With That Quiet,  Half-Amused Gravity And Did

Not Offer To Take Them.

 

"I Presume You Can Find A Waste-Basket Down In The Office If You Want To

Get Rid Of Them," Said Bonnie,  Suddenly,  In A Clear,  Refined Voice. "I

Really Shouldn't Care For Them. Isn't There A Waste-Basket Somewhere

About?" She Asked,  Turning Toward The Nurse.

 

"Down In The Hall By The Front Entrance," Answered The Nurse,  Grimly.

She Was Ready To Play Up To Whatever Cue Bonnie Gave Her.

 

Gila Stood Haughtily Holding Her Flowers And Looking From One Woman To

The Other,  Unable To Believe That Any Other Woman Had The Insufferable

Audacity To Meet Her On Her Own Ground In This Way. Were They Actually

Guying Her,  Or Were They Innocents Who Really Thought She Did Not Want

The Flowers,  Or Who Did Not Know Enough To Think Orchids Beautiful?

Before She Could Decide Bonnie Was Speaking Again,  Still In That Quiet,

Superior Tone Of A Lady That Gave Her The Command Of The Situation:

 

"I Am Sorry," She Said,  Quite Politely,  As If She Must Let Her Visitor

Down Gently,  "But I'm Afraid You Have Made Some Mistake. I Don't Recall

Ever Having Met You Before. It Must Be Some Other Miss Brentwood For

Whom You Are Looking."

 

Gila Stared,  And Her Color Suddenly Began To Rise Even Under The Pearly

Tint Of Her Flesh. Had She Possibly Made Some Blunder? This Certainly

Was The Voice Of A Lady. And The Girl On The Bed Had The Advantage Of

Absolute Self-Control. Somehow That Angered Gila More Than Anything

Else.

 

"Don't You Know Paul Courtland?" She Demanded,  Imperiously.

 

"I Never Heard The Name Before!"

 

Bonnie's Voice Was Steady,  And Her Eyes Looked Coolly Into The Other

Girl's. The Nurse Looked At Bonnie And Marveled. She Knew The Name Of

Paul Courtland Well; She Telephoned To That Name Every Day. How Was It

That The Girl Did Not Know It? She Liked This Girl And The Man Who Had

Brought Her Here And Been So Anxious About Her. But Who On Earth Was

This Huzzy In Fur?

 

Gila Looked At Bonnie Madly. Her Stare Said As Plainly As Words Could

Have Done: "You Lie! You _Do_ Know Him!" But Gila's Lips Said,

Scornfully,  "Aren't You The Poor Girl Whose Kid Brother Got Killed By An

Automobile In The Street?"

 

Across Bonnie's Stricken Face There Flashed A Spasm Of Pain And Her Very

Lips Grew White.

 

"I Thought So!" Sneered Gila,  Rushing On With Her Insult. "And Yet You

Chapter 13 Pg 75

Deny That You Ever Heard Paul Courtland's Name! He Picked Up The Kid And

Carried It In The House And Ran Errands For You,  But You Don't Know Him!

That's Gratitude For You! I Told Him The Working-Class Were All Like

That. I Have No Doubt He Has Paid For This Very Room That You Are Lying

In!"

 

"Stop!" Cried Bonnie,  Sitting Up,  Her Eyes Like Two Stars,  Her Face

White To The Very Lips. "You Have No Right To Come Here And Talk Like

That! I Cannot Understand Who Could Have Sent You! Certainly Not The

Courteous Stranger Who Picked Up My Little Brother. I Do Not Know His

Name,  Nor Anything About Him,  But I Can Assure You That I Shall Not

Allow Him Nor Any One Else To Pay My Bills. Now Will You Take Your

Things And Leave My Room? I Am Feeling Very--Tired!"

 

The Voice Suddenly Trailed Off Into Silence And Bonnie Dropped Back

Limply Upon The Pillow.

 

The Nurse Sprang Like An Angry Bear Who Has Seen Somebody Troubling Her

Cubs. She Touched Vigorously A Button In The Wall As She Passed And

Swooped Down Upon The Tawdry Finery,  Stuffing It Unceremoniously Into

The Box; Then She Turned Upon The Little Fur-Trimmed Lady,  Placed A

Capable Arm About Her Slim Waist,  And Scooped Her Out Of The Room.

Flinging The Bulging Box Down At Her Feet,  Where It Gaped Widely,

Gushing Forth In Pink,  Blue,  Cerise,  And Silver,  She Shut The Door And

Flew Back To Her Charge.

 

Down The Hall Hurried The Emergency Doctor,  Formidable In His

White-Linen Uniform. When Gila Looked Up From The Confusion At Her Feet

She Encountered The Gaze Of A Pair Of Grave And Disapproving Eyes Behind

A Pair Of Fascinating Tortoise-Shell Goggles. She Was Not Accustomed To

Disapproval In Masculine Eyes And It Infuriated Her.

 

"What Does All This Mean?" His Voice Expressed A Good Many Kinds Of

Disapproval.

 

"It Means That I Have Been Insulted,  Sir,  By One Of Your Nurses!"

Declared Gila,  In Her Most Haughty Tone,  With A Tilt Of Her Chin And A

Flirt Of Her Fur Trappings. "I Shall Make It My Business To See That She

Is Removed At Once From Her Position."

 

The Doctor Eyed Her Mildly,  As Though She Were A Small Bat Squeaking At

A Mighty Hawk. "Indeed! I Fancy You Will Find That A Rather Difficult

Matter!" He Answered,  Contemptuously. "She Is One Of Our Best Nurses!

James!" To A Passing Assistant,  "Escort This Person And

Her--Belongings"--Looking Doubtfully At The Mess On The Floor--"Down To

The Street!"

 

Then He Swiftly Entered Bonnie's Room,  Closing And Fastening The Door

Behind Him.

 

The Said James,  With An Ill-Concealed Grin,  Stooped To His Task; And

Thus,  In Mortification,  Wrath,  And Ignominy,  Did Gila Descend To Her

Waiting Limousine.

Chapter 13 Pg 76

There Were Tears Of Anger On Her Cheeks As She Sat Back Against Her

Cushions; More Tears Fell,  Which,  Regardless Of Her Pearly Complexion,

She Wiped Away With A Cobweb Of A Handkerchief,  While She Sat And Hated

Courtland,  And The Whole Tribe Of College Men,  Her Cousin Bill Ward

Included,  For Getting Her Into A Scrape Like This. Defeat Was A Thing

She Could Not Brook. She Had Never,  Since She Came Out Of Short Frocks,

Been So Defeated In Her Life! But It Should Not Be Defeat! She Would

Take Her Full Revenge For All That Had Happened! Courtland Should Bite

The Dust! She Would Show Him That He Could Not Go Around Picking Up

Stray Beauties And Sending Her After Them To Pet Them For Him.

 

She Did Not Watch For Acquaintances During That Ride Home. She Remained

Behind Drawn Curtains. Arrived At Home,  She Stormed Up To Her Room,

Giving Orders To Her Maid Not To Disturb Her,  And Sat Down Angrily To

Indite An Epistle To Courtland That Should Bring Him To His Knees.

 

Meantime The Doctor And Nurse Worked Silently,  Skilfully Over Bonnie

Until The Weary Eyes Opened Once More,  And A Long-Drawn Sigh Showed That

The Girl Had Come Back To The World.

 

By And By,  When The Doctor Had Gone Out Of The Room And The Nurse Had

Finished Giving Her The Beef-Tea That Had Been Ordered,  Bonnie Raised

Her Eyes. "Would You Mind Finding Out For Me Just What This Room Costs?"

She Asked,  Wearily.

 

The Nurse Had Been Fixing It All Up In Her Mind What She Should Say When

This Question Came. "Why,  I'm Under The Impression You Won't Have To Pay

Anything," She Said,  Pleasantly. "You See,  Sometimes Patients,  When They

Go Out,  Are Kind Of Grateful And Leave A Sort Of Endowment Of A Bed For

A While,  Or Something Like That,  For Cases Just Like Yours,  Where

Strangers Come In For A Few Days And Need Quiet--Real Quiet That They

Can't Get In The Ward,  You Know. I Believe Some One Paid Something For

This Room In Some Kind Of A Way Like That. I Guess The Doctor Thought

You Would Get Well Quicker If You Had It Quiet,  So He Put You In Here.

You Needn't Worry A Bit About It."

 

Bonnie Smiled. "Would You Mind Making Sure?" She Asked. "I'd Like To

Know Just What I Owe. I Have A Little Money,  You Know."

 

The Nurse Nodded And Slipped Away To Whisper The Story To The Grave

Doctor,  Who Grew More Indignant And Contemptuous Than He Had Been To

Gila,  And Sent Her Promptly Back With An Answer.

 

"You Don't Have To Pay A Cent," She Said,  Cheerfully,  As She Returned.

"This Bed Is Endowed Temporarily,  The Doctor Says,  To Be Used At His

Discretion,  And He Wants To Keep You Here Till Some One Comes Who Needs

This Room More Than You Do. At Present There Isn't Any One,  So You

Needn't Worry. We Are Not Going