Petra took Lewis’ hand, lifted it, and pressed her mouth on its back. A warm, quick kiss. There in the middle of the sidewalk on Marlborough Street in the midst of the foot traffic! Then she ran, before Lewis could follow her, and stumbled blindly into the taxi. The driver stayed waiting a second to see whether Doctor Pryne was coming with the young lady all the way to Meadowbrook, decided he wasn’t—Lewis gave him no sign one way or the other—and shut the door. As the cab drove off, Petra kept her face turned away so that Lewis could not see it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As Lewis reëntered the reception office, Petra’s telephone was ringing. It was Neil, calling Petra as he had promised, but one hour late. He was surprised that it was Lewis who answered, but said hastily, “I’m grateful it is you, Doctor. I’m calling from Meadowbrook. Is there any chance, if I drive right in now, you could see me? It’s something pretty important, Doctor!”
“About yourself?—Or Petra?” If McCloud had been there in the room, instead of merely on the wire, he would have been shocked by the expression on the face of the man of whom he was so confidently asking a favor. The accustomed light was quite gone from Lewis’ features. He was gray and stern and looked ten years older.
“It concerns us both. Equally, I guess,” was Neil’s reply after an instant’s hesitation. “But I wouldn’t ask for your time like this if it weren’t pretty important, Doctor.”
“Well, if you start now, I’ll be free about the time you get here. But make it snappy, for I’ve half a dozen professional calls slated between now and dinner.”
“Thanks awfully. Will you tell Petra I’m coming? I’d rather not talk to her now. Tell her everything’s all right; I’ll explain everything when I get there and she mustn’t worry.”
To this casual request Lewis made a sound that McCloud accepted as both promise and good-by—and hung up. He had not even asked was Petra there. But Meadowbrook? McCloud must be calling from Green Doors itself. Had he been there all day? Had it been more than a sick tire that ailed his car? Well, Lewis did not care about the details—just so long as Petra and Neil did not see each other again until Lewis himself could talk with Petra on the edge of the meadow to-night.
He went through into his own office where the tragic trio awaited him. He took the boy from the mother’s arms. The poor little creature came quietly, without the struggle the parents obviously expected, and from that moment, so kind are the ways of God with mortals when they have learned to pray, Lewis’ expectation of Neil’s near visit and even his anguish for and over Petra were dropped from his consciousness until the work in hand was over—until, in fact, he escorted the parents, himself still holding the boy, out to the elevator, and saw Neil sitting in the reception office in a patient attitude that bore the stamp of having lasted some time.