"I?" He was genuinely surprised. "Oh, I see. You mean--but my part in
getting Joe off is practically nothing. As a matter of fact, Schwitter
has put up the money. My total capital in the world, after paying the
taxicab to-day, is seven dollars."
"The taxicab?"
"By Jove, I was forgetting! Best news you ever heard of! Tillie married
and has a baby--all in twenty-four hours! Boy--they named it Le Moyne.
Squalled like a maniac when the water went on its head. I--I took Mrs.
McKee out in a hired machine. That's what happened to my capital." He
grinned sheepishly. "She said she would have to go in her toque. I had
awful qualms. I thought it was a wrapper."
"You, of course," she said. "You find Max and save him--don't look like
that! You did, didn't you? And you get Joe away, borrowing money to send
him. And as if that isn't enough, when you ought to have been getting some
sleep, you are out taking a friend to Tillie, and being godfather to the
baby."
He looked uncomfortable, almost guilty.
"I had a day off. I--"
"When I look back and remember how all these months I've been talking about
service, and you said nothing at all, and all the time you were living what
I preached--I'm so ashamed, K."
He would not allow that. It distressed him. She saw that, and tried to
smile.
"When does Joe go?"
"To-night. I'm to take him across the country to the railroad. I was
wondering--"
"Yes?"
"I'd better explain first what happened, and why it happened. Then if you
are willing to send him a line, I think it would help. He saw a girl in
white in the car and followed in his own machine. He thought it was you,
of course. He didn't like the idea of your going to Schwitter's. Carlotta
was taken ill. And Schwitter and--and Wilson took her upstairs to a
room."
"Do you believe that, K.?"
"I do. He saw Max coming out and misunderstood. He fired at him then."
"He did it for me. I feel very guilty, K., as if it all comes back to me.
I'll write to him, of course. Poor Joe!"
He watched her go down the hall toward the night nurse's desk. He would
have given everything just then for the right to call her back, to take her
in his arms and comfort her. She seemed so alone. He himself had gone
through loneliness and heartache, and the shadow was still on him. He
waited until he saw her sit down at the desk and take up a pen. Then he
went back into the quiet room.