The Patrol of the Sun Dance Trail [126]
Mrs. Cameron, I beg your pardon. Undoubtedly he is a fine fellow. I am an ass, a jealous ass--might as well own it. But, really, I cannot quite stand seeing her throw herself at Smith--Smith! Oh, I know, I know, he is all right. But oh--well-- at any rate thank God I saw him at it. It will keep me from openly and uselessly abasing myself to her and making a fool of myself generally. But Smith! Great God! Smith! Well, it will help to cure me."
Mrs. Cameron stood by in miserable silence.
"Oh, Dr. Martin," at length she groaned tearfully, "I am so disappointed. I was so hoping, and I was sure it was all right-- and--and--oh, what does it mean? Dear Dr. Martin, I cannot tell you how I feel."
"Oh, hang it, Mrs. Cameron, don't pity me. I'll get over it. A little surgical operation in the region of the pericardium is all, that is required."
"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Mrs. Cameron, vaguely listening to him and busy with her own thoughts the while.
"Talking about, madam? Talking about? I am talking about that organ, the central organ of the vascular system of animals, a hollow muscular structure that propels the blood by alternate contractions and dilatations, which in the mammalian embryo first appears as two tubes lying under the head and immediately behind the first visceral arches, but gradually moves back and becomes lodged in the thorax."
"Oh, do stop! What nonsense are you talking now?" exclaimed Mrs. Cameron, waking up as from a dream. "No, don't go. You must not go."
"I am going, and I am going to leave this country," said the doctor. "I am going East. No, this is no sudden resolve. I have thought of it for some time, and now I will go."
"Well, you must wait at least till Allan returns. You must say good-by to him." She followed the doctor anxiously back to his seat beside the Inspector. "Here," she cried, "hold baby a minute. There are some things I must attend to. I would give him to the Inspector, but he would not know how to handle him."
"God forbid!" ejaculated the Inspector firmly.
"But I tell you I must get home," said the doctor in helpless wrath.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs. Cameron. "Look out! You are not holding him properly. There now, you have made him cry."
"Pinched him!" muttered the Inspector. "I call that most unfair. Mean advantage to take of the young person."
The doctor glowered at the Inspector and set himself with ready skill to remedy the wrong he had wrought in the young person's disposition while the mother, busying herself ostentatiously with her domestic duties, finally disappeared around the house, making for the bluff. As soon as she was out of earshot she raised her voice in song.
"I must give the fools warning, I suppose," she said to herself. In the pauses of her singing, "Oh, what does she mean? I could just shake her. I am so disappointed. Smith! Smith! Well, Smith is all right, but--oh, I must talk to her. And yet, I am so angry-- yes, I am disgusted. I was so sure that everything was all right. Ah, there she is at last, and--well--thank goodness he is gone.
"Oh-h-h-h-O, Moira!" she cried. "Now, I must keep my temper," she added to herself. "But I am so cross about this. Oh-h-h-h-O, Moira!"
"Oh-h-h-h-O!" called Moira in reply.
"She looks positively happy. Ugh! Disgusting! And so lovely too."
"Did you want me, Mandy? I am so sorry I forgot all about the tea."
"So I should suppose," snapped Mandy crossly. "I saw you were too deeply engaged to think."
"You saw?" exclaimed the girl, a startled dismay in her face.
"Yes, and I would suggest that you select a less conspicuous stage for your next scene. Certainly I got quite a shock. If it had been Raven, Moira, I could have stood it."
"Raven! Raven! Oh, stop! Not a word, Mandy." Her voice was hushed and there was a look of pain in her eyes.
"But Smith!" went on Mandy relentlessly. "I was too disgusted."
"Well, what is wrong with Mr. Smith?" inquired Moira, her chin rising.
"Oh, there is nothing wrong with Smith,"
Mrs. Cameron stood by in miserable silence.
"Oh, Dr. Martin," at length she groaned tearfully, "I am so disappointed. I was so hoping, and I was sure it was all right-- and--and--oh, what does it mean? Dear Dr. Martin, I cannot tell you how I feel."
"Oh, hang it, Mrs. Cameron, don't pity me. I'll get over it. A little surgical operation in the region of the pericardium is all, that is required."
"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Mrs. Cameron, vaguely listening to him and busy with her own thoughts the while.
"Talking about, madam? Talking about? I am talking about that organ, the central organ of the vascular system of animals, a hollow muscular structure that propels the blood by alternate contractions and dilatations, which in the mammalian embryo first appears as two tubes lying under the head and immediately behind the first visceral arches, but gradually moves back and becomes lodged in the thorax."
"Oh, do stop! What nonsense are you talking now?" exclaimed Mrs. Cameron, waking up as from a dream. "No, don't go. You must not go."
"I am going, and I am going to leave this country," said the doctor. "I am going East. No, this is no sudden resolve. I have thought of it for some time, and now I will go."
"Well, you must wait at least till Allan returns. You must say good-by to him." She followed the doctor anxiously back to his seat beside the Inspector. "Here," she cried, "hold baby a minute. There are some things I must attend to. I would give him to the Inspector, but he would not know how to handle him."
"God forbid!" ejaculated the Inspector firmly.
"But I tell you I must get home," said the doctor in helpless wrath.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs. Cameron. "Look out! You are not holding him properly. There now, you have made him cry."
"Pinched him!" muttered the Inspector. "I call that most unfair. Mean advantage to take of the young person."
The doctor glowered at the Inspector and set himself with ready skill to remedy the wrong he had wrought in the young person's disposition while the mother, busying herself ostentatiously with her domestic duties, finally disappeared around the house, making for the bluff. As soon as she was out of earshot she raised her voice in song.
"I must give the fools warning, I suppose," she said to herself. In the pauses of her singing, "Oh, what does she mean? I could just shake her. I am so disappointed. Smith! Smith! Well, Smith is all right, but--oh, I must talk to her. And yet, I am so angry-- yes, I am disgusted. I was so sure that everything was all right. Ah, there she is at last, and--well--thank goodness he is gone.
"Oh-h-h-h-O, Moira!" she cried. "Now, I must keep my temper," she added to herself. "But I am so cross about this. Oh-h-h-h-O, Moira!"
"Oh-h-h-h-O!" called Moira in reply.
"She looks positively happy. Ugh! Disgusting! And so lovely too."
"Did you want me, Mandy? I am so sorry I forgot all about the tea."
"So I should suppose," snapped Mandy crossly. "I saw you were too deeply engaged to think."
"You saw?" exclaimed the girl, a startled dismay in her face.
"Yes, and I would suggest that you select a less conspicuous stage for your next scene. Certainly I got quite a shock. If it had been Raven, Moira, I could have stood it."
"Raven! Raven! Oh, stop! Not a word, Mandy." Her voice was hushed and there was a look of pain in her eyes.
"But Smith!" went on Mandy relentlessly. "I was too disgusted."
"Well, what is wrong with Mr. Smith?" inquired Moira, her chin rising.
"Oh, there is nothing wrong with Smith,"