Lola Read online

  CHAPTER II

  A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

  Doctor Martin Barnhelm had for over twenty years practised medicine inNew York. Aside from the fact that he was thoroughly qualified for hisprofession, he had a gentle, kindly manner that made him popular withall his patients. His might have been an unusual success, but of lateyears he had devoted more and more of his time to research work. Hehad a growing reputation in the medical world, as an expert in thedevelopment of electro-medical apparatus, and unknown to anyone he wasdevoting all his energies to the realization of a theory, which to hismind at least promised to be the most important medical discoverysince the introduction of antiseptic surgery. In the front room of hisapartment he carried on his experiments, and so complete was hisdevotion to the object of his ambition that he scarcely allowedhimself time to earn, by his profession, even the modest sum necessaryfor the household expenses. Lola saw that his heart was wholly setupon this one idea, and without in the least understanding itspurpose, aided him by rigid economy, and had even, against his ratherfaint protest, begun to add to the family income by teaching in asettlement school.

  Although the Doctor had so jealously guarded his time that he had lostmost of his wealthy patients, he had never been able to deny hisprofessional aid to those unfortunates from whom no other fee thangratitude could be expected. Nellie Mooney was one of these. She hadinherited from a vicious father the tainted blood and the weakenedconstitution, which, helped on by the bad air and insufficientnourishment of the poor of the crowded tenement district, had resultedin a tubercular disease of the bone of her right arm.

  Mrs. Mooney brought the child twice a week for treatment, but of latethe disease had been gaining headway, and in spite of the Doctor'sbest efforts, she was in constant agony. He was treating her now inthe little alcove he used as his office, and outside, with thecurtains drawn, Lola was doing her best to soothe the almost franticmother.

  The treatment, in spite of all the Doctor's gentleness, was painful inthe extreme, and Lola was anxious to spare the poor woman the sight ofher daughter's suffering, but at the sound of a stifled cry frombehind the curtains, Mrs. Mooney was unable to restrain herself, andrushed toward the next room with a cry of agony.

  "Please," said Lola, as she gently stopped her. "They are betterwithout you."

  "I'm going to her," exclaimed the mother, quite unable to withstandthe thought of her child suffering alone. "You don't know what it is,Miss Lola; I've got to go."

  As she spoke she drew the curtain aside, and entered the alcove, andLola would have followed had not a ring of the bell made her pause andgo to the door. It was still early in the forenoon, and as Lola openedthe door she fully expected to be greeted by another of the Doctor'spatients, but in place of that a young man stood smiling on thethreshold.

  "John!" she exclaimed happily, then stopped shyly as he steppedeagerly forward and put his arm around her. It was only the nightbefore that he had told her of his love, and she was still afraid ofhim, but he, manlike, refused to give up an advantage already won, anddrew her to him, holding her closely until she, of her own accord,raised her lips to his.

  "Did he read my letter?" he asked eagerly and rather nervously.

  Now she had him at an advantage, for however great his fear was of herfather, she had none at all.

  "Oh, yes," she replied, smiling, "and he is perfectly furious."

  As she saw his face fall she would have reassured him, but just then amoan of anguish from the alcove made him turn his head inquiringly.

  "It is the little Mooney girl," she answered, in reply to his unspokenquestion. "It is some dreadful disease of the bone, but father hopesto be able to help her."

  "Poor little girl," said John, as he offered her a cluster of gorgeousroses that he had brought with him.

  Lola took the flowers with a word of thanks, as the Doctor threw openthe curtains and entered with his arm about Nellie, and followed byMrs. Mooney.

  "There," he exclaimed, "it is over now. You are a brave girl, Nellie.You must bring her again on Saturday, Mrs. Mooney."

  "You are not faint, are you, Nellie?" said Lola, alarmed at thechild's paleness.

  "Oh, no, Miss," replied Nellie bravely, her eyes fastened withwondering admiration on the beautiful roses.

  "Take them," said Lola impulsively, holding them out to her, but sheshrank back, afraid.

  "Oh, no! Why, you just got them yourself."

  "He doesn't mind, do you?" Lola demanded of John, and he answered sopleasantly and cordially that the child was persuaded to accept them,and was taken home by her mother in such a glow of gratitude that forthe moment, at least, her pain was forgotten.

  American Beauty roses, at a dollar each, on the window-sill of awretched tenement! An extravagance, no doubt, and yet I wonder if theywould have better fulfilled their destiny had they met the usual fateof their fellows and been trampled under foot upon the floor of somecrowded ball room.

  As Lola closed the door after Nellie and Mrs. Mooney, she turned tosee John and her father eyeing one another, with the consciousness ofthe necessary interview showing in their faces. She laughed happilyand, crossing to the Doctor, pointed to John, who stood rather stifflybeside the table.

  "There is John, father."

  "Humph," said he, coldly, determined at least that the young man'spath should not be made too easy, "so I see."

  "I--I," began John, rather lamely, "I--er----"

  Lola laughed merrily, and catching one by each hand drew themtogether, looking up at them, her face so radiant that in a momenttheir stiffness was forgotten, and they joined in her laugh.

  "No use trying to be formal, John, while she is laughing at us."

  "No, sir," replied John heartily, as he accepted the other's profferedhand; "all that I am going to say is that I shall do my best to makeher happy."

  "You won't have any great trouble there, my boy. She has always beenhappy, and always will be if--if you will always love her."

  "I think I may safely promise that," said John, smiling confidently."It doesn't seem to be difficult."

  "You are very happy, you two," continued the Doctor, glancing from oneto the other, "and will you believe an old man when he tells you thatit is the only happiness that is real? A happiness so great that evenif death comes, the memory is still the dearest feeling in yourhearts. I have no sermon for you. God bless you, and help you, so longas you shall live."

  "We are having a little trouble already, Doctor, and I want yourhelp," said John boldly. "I want you to tell her that she must marryme at once."

  "John," cried Lola, indignantly, "I haven't any idea at all of beingmarried for months!"

  "Ah!" smiled the Doctor hopefully. "Perhaps, if you quarrel with himabout it, we may get rid of him yet. That would be good news for me,yes, and for poor Dick Fenway!"

  "Don't tease," protested Lola, "and, anyway, Mr. Fenway isn't poor; heis a millionaire."

  "I suppose," said John, "that it is rather an obvious thing for me tosay, but I don't like that man. It isn't that I am jealous. I wasonce, I will admit, but after last night I am not afraid of him. Buthe isn't on the level. I have the right to tell you now, Lola," hecontinued, turning to her. "I knew him in Cleveland two years ago. Hecomes here to your house, and takes you to theatres and concerts."

  Lola looked at him, surprised. "Surely I am not going to make thesudden discovery that I have bound myself to a jealous old Ogre, amI?" she inquired.

  "Fenway," said John bluntly, "has a wife in Cleveland."

  The Doctor's face grew stern, and Lola looked both shocked anddistressed.

  "John!" she exclaimed in dismay, for she liked young Fenway, and morethan either of the others knew that, if this thing were true, he haddone his best to deceive her.

  "He married a telephone girl in one of the big hotels," went on John,anxious to get the unpleasant story over, for he had a man's feelingof loyalty to his sex, and hated to be placed in the position of atale bearer.

  "He has been trying ever s
ince to get a divorce, but she won't lethim. It isn't a thing a fellow likes to talk about, but it's true."

  "Thank you," said the Doctor gravely; "my home is not large enough tohold that sort of man. I shall tell him so if he calls again."

  "I am sorry, very sorry," said Lola. "There was something about him Ialways liked, and it hurts me to think that he tried to deceive me ashe did."

  "Bah!" protested the Doctor. "The world is full of men like that, butonce you know them, they are harmless. Don't look sad, my dear; it isso easy to forget all about him."

  It was not so easy, however, for Lola to forget Dick Fenway's deceitas her father fancied. Only a few weeks before he had told her that heloved her, and when she had gently refused him he had shown suchbitter disappointment that she had been quite touched, and had eversince done her best to be kind to him. Now the thought that at thetime he had spoken of his love for her he had had a wife filled herwith amazement. Lola knew little of the evil of the world, but shefelt that here there was something wrong, and it disturbed her. Longafter John had gone to his business, and her father had left to meethis old friend, Doctor Crossett, she sat thinking it over, and themore she thought the more distressed she became.

  Dick Fenway had been brought to the house by a friend of John's, andfrom the first she had been attracted by his gayety and recklessness.He was a great contrast to the men she had known. Careless, rich andhappy, and there was something about the young man that had made astrong appeal to the maternal feeling that is in every woman, howeveryoung or unworldly she may be. Fenway's habit of depending upon herfor advice, his very confession of careless helplessness, had put himsomewhat in the position of a child whom she felt it her duty to helpwith advice and counsel.

  KIND HEARTED DOCTOR BARNHELM ATTENDS THE SICK CHILD OFMRS. MOONEY.]

  At first, when a little later Maria told her that he was waiting forher in the front room, she decided not to go to him, but, on secondthought, she changed her mind, and thinking it best to have the wholematter definitely settled, she entered the room gravely, perhaps alittle sadly.

  "Good morning, Miss Barnhelm," said Fenway, as he rose to meet her. "Iknow it's too early for a call, but I wanted you to come for a ride inmy new car. It's downstairs."

  "No, thank you, Mr. Fenway."

  "Oh, but you've got to try it. She's a corker. Why, I was thinking ofyou when I bought it."

  "Were you?" said Lola coldly.

  "Yes, honestly. Why, you know, Lola, that----"

  "How long is it since you have heard from your wife in Cleveland?"interrupted Lola.

  For a moment his surprise silenced him; then he turned upon herangrily.

  "Who's been telling you my business?" he demanded, almost roughly.

  "Do you think," asked Lola gently, "that she would share in yourdesire for me to try your new car?"

  "I didn't want you to know about her," he answered, a queer expressionof mingled shame and determination on his face. "It happened a longtime ago. I was a fool, more even of a fool than usual, when I marriedher. I haven't seen her in almost two years, and--and I'm never goingto see her again."

  "Father was angry when he heard that you were married," said Lola,looking at him calmly, and with no expression of anger in her face."He thought that you had not been quite honest about it."

  "What did you think?" questioned Fenway.

  "I was very much surprised and a little hurt. Father is going to askyou not to come here again. That is why I was glad to speak to youbefore he did."

  "Then you won't let it quite queer me with you?" exclaimed the youngman eagerly. "She's bound to give me a chance to divorce her, sooneror later. I'm having her watched, every breath she draws. Even if yourfather won't let me come here you'll see me sometimes, won't you?"

  "No, Mr. Fenway, I shan't see you again. Father is right about that,but I am glad you came here to-day. Surely we have been good friendsenough for me to ask you, for your own sake, to be worthy of thebetter side that I know is in you. This girl is your wife; youyourself say that she has not done anything wrong. Wouldn't it bebetter to----"

  "Don't talk about her," said Dick, savagely.

  "I'm afraid that we can't talk at all, unless we talk about her. A manwith as kind a heart as yours couldn't have meant to wrong her, or me,or any other girl. I hoped that I was enough your friend to be able toask you to go back to her, if you can, and if you can't, to tell youthat you ought to be honest with the persons who trust you! There!I've said it!" And she stood looking at him for a moment. Then,softening, she extended her hand.

  "Good-bye!"

  He stood looking at her, then stepped forward boldly and took herhand.

  "Lola," and as he spoke there was a tone of passion in his voice thatfrightened her, "I love you!"

  She looked him in the face and answered gently, "I am going to marryJohn Dorris."

  "Not--not because of this--this damned story you heard about me?"

  "No," replied Lola quietly. "Because I love him."

  He stepped back, dropping her hand, and for the first time since shehad known him a look of real sadness came into his face.

  "I--I guess there's nothing for me to do but go. I have usually hadmost everything I wanted in this world, but now if I'm going to loseyou I'm getting the worst of things, after all."

  "I am sorry," began Lola, but he shook his head impatiently andcrossed to the door. "I haven't any use for your sympathy. You say youare going to marry John Dorris, but you haven't done it yet. You saythat you are not going to see me again. I don't believe that, Lola.You don't love me. I know, but you don't love him either. You don'tknow what love is, and when you learn it won't be from John Dorris."

  He closed the door behind him, and she heard him running down thestairs as she stood there with a strange dread in her heart.