Lost Farm Camp Part 23

Bas...o...b..leaned back in the comfortable tonneau and glanced at his watch.

"Half-past five. Let me see-allow fifteen minutes to dress-ten back to the club-five to see old Tillinghast, confound the punctual old pirate-that's six o'clock. Then ten back to the house (I hope Bessie won't keep me waiting) and dinner at seven. Miss Ross is another stickler for 'on time or bust.' Well, it won't be Jimmy's fault if we don't do either. Now, I wonder what's up? Bessie has been thicker than bees with Miss Ross ever since Davy flew away. And now I'm haled from a nice comfy corner in the club to have dinner with that estimable Scotchwoman. Bet she'll talk Davy from consomme to coffee."

The car slowed down as they hurtled over a cross-street where a blue helmet and a warning hand appeared and vanished. Bas...o...b..grinned as they swung to the curb a block farther down the street.

"You're two minutes ahead of schedule, James. How's your leg?"

"Much easier, sir," replied that youth, working his foot on the brake-pedal tentatively.

Bas...o...b..ran up the steps and entered the wide hallway, so similar, in its general characteristics of ponderous ornamentation, to a hundred others on the street, and rushed up the soft carpeted stairs.

"h.e.l.lo, Bess!"

"h.e.l.lo, Wallie. No, you can't come in, but I'll be down in-five minutes."

"Well, if you're at the 'can't-come-in' stage I can see five minutes do a glide from six-thirty to seven and not shed a hair. Little brother Wallie is in for a quick change from 'sads' to 'glads.' I'll be back for you at half-past six exactly."

"You'll be _back?_ Walter Bas...o...b.. where are you going? I'm nearly ready."

Wallie thrummed on the closed bedroom door.

"Down town-important. Asbestos gentleman with large check-book. Must dress. Ta ta, sis."

He hurried to his room and reappeared in a few minutes in evening clothes. He stepped softly past his sister's door and down the stair, a sleek, full-bodied figure, with much in the erect carriage of the head and breadth of shoulder suggesting the elder Bas...o...b.. At that moment his sister swept from her room and came to the head of the stairs. He saw her as he swung into his coat.

"Don't detain me, Bessie dear," he said, antic.i.p.ating her. "I'll be back quicker than-Jimmy made it in five minutes coming up."

"Walter, you'll kill some one some day. It's a shame, the way you make James drive. I know he's not a bit reckless, but you just, just-"

"Bye-bye, sis. I'll be back at six-thirty."

"No, James isn't reckless-not a bit," he muttered, as he ran down the steps; "are you, Jimmy?"

"Are I what, sir?"

"Are you able to make the club again in five minutes?"

"Yes, sir."

"I knew Bessie was wrong," he said mysteriously, as he entered the machine.

James, inferring that his ability to "make time" had been questioned by Miss Bas...o...b..-although not a little surprised, as she had always cautioned him to drive reasonably,-made the trip in four minutes, despite the increased traffic of the hour.

Punctually at half-past six they were at Bas...o...b..s home again.

Elizabeth Bas...o...b.. gowned in soft gray, with here and there a touch of silver which accentuated the delicate coloring of her cheeks and lent her a certain aristocratic hauteur, came down the steps and stepped lightly into the car. Her brother drew her cloak about her shoulders.

"You look just like Ophelia-in the second act, you know, Bess."

She accepted his somewhat over-picturesque compliment with a tolerant smile.

"I say, Bess, don't pay any attention to me. I'm only one of the accessories,-Miss Ross's place, James,-but you might let me look at you once in a while. I haven't seen much of you lately."

She turned her full blue eyes toward him and gazed thoughtfully at his eager face, as they sped easily up the long slope of the hill.

"Father told me that Mr. Ross was in town-had been at the office," she said presently, smoothing the back of her gloved hand pensively. "He said David left the office in a rather peculiar manner."

"Didn't know the pater was home. So Davy's back in civilization again.

Well, I'm not surprised. Davy is a stiff-necked beastie at times. Wonder whether he brought Smoke or not? I asked him to in my last letter."

"I don't know," replied his sister. "Papa said he asked for you."

"Well, he'll probably show up to-morrow. By Jove, perhaps he's at his aunt's now!"

"I had thought of that," said Miss Bas...o...b..quietly.

"You don't seem enthusiastic about it, sis."

"Why should I be?" she replied indifferently.

"That's so; but, Bessie,"-and he took her hand and patted it playfully,-"why shouldn't you be?"

"Little brothers shouldn't ask too many questions," she replied, a.s.suming his manner playfully.

"Of course not. But seriously, Bess,-I never believed in trying to do the 'bless you, my children' business, you know that,-what is wrong between Davy and you? Great Scott!" he exclaimed with boyish enthusiasm, "Davy Ross is worth a whole regiment of-my kind. Honest Injun, Bess, he's going to _do_ something one of these days. It's in his eye."

The car swung round a corner and gathered speed as they slipped down a quiet side street.

"What is the trouble, Bess?"

"Nothing," she replied indifferently.

"That settles it. When 'nothing's' the matter, the bun is off the stove.

A girl can overlook larceny, bigamy, arson, robbery, contempt of court, and murder, but 'nothing,'"-he sighed ponderously.

"Walter!"

"Beg your pardon-whatever it was-yes?"

"You're getting dreadfully-slangy, Walter."

"Getting? Since when?"

"It's growing on you."

They glided down the smooth asphalt silently. Presently she turned to him, placing both hands on his knee.

"Papa said he had asked David to call. Now, papa knows that David and I have had a misunderstanding. Why should he deliberately ignore me and invite David to the house? I know he won't accept."