And Zaidos didn’t.
When, after a long, slow and anxious journey, Helen and Tony and Zaidos finally reached London, Zaidos left the young married pair in the charge of a full battalion of relatives that had advanced in close formation as their train drew into the station, and proceeded at once to the office of a lawyer who was none other than Tony’s cousin Jack. It took only a couple of days to fix the thing all up for the doctor; indeed, it was so tied up with red tape and all that, that Zaidos was not sure anyone would ever get the money.
Jack was more than nice to Zaidos, and insisted on taking him to his own quarters, where he rested quietly for several days. The journey had been harder than Zaidos had realized. His leg ached, and it was slow work getting around on crutches. As soon as Jack could get away, he suggested that they should go down to Hazelden, and see for themselves if Tony was improving as much as the family claimed.
They went on the train, for Jack had given up his motor car as his donation to the war fund. In the station, as Zaidos was hobbling painfully along, a husky youth in uniform bumped into him, and nearly knocked him over. He apologized.
“All right, Nick, all right!” said Zaidos joyously.
The husky youth stared, then gave a very un-English whoop, and made a bear rush at Zaidos. When he had finished patting him on the back and stuttering all sorts of inquiries, he managed to make a few questions clear. Where was he going? What for? Who was he going to stay with? When was he coming back? If it wasn’t rotten, rotten luck that he was just off for Paris on government business!
When Zaidos could get a word in edgewise, he broke it to Nickell-Wheelerson that he was going away from England, back to America—and to that end his passage was already secured on a vessel leaving in a week’s time. He was going down to visit some people named Hazelden.
“My second cousins, by Jove!” averred Nick, delighted. “A week? Well, if I can smooth things over between the Allies and Germany in less than that time, I’ll come down and ask them to put me up for a day.” He patted Zaidos again. “It certainly seems good to see you, old chap! Here’s my train, so I must go. Don’t forget me, and I’ll get down before you leave, if I can.”
He dashed for the door the porter held open for him, and with a last wave of the hand was carried out of sight. When Jack returned, Zaidos told him about the encounter, and Jack laughed.
“Of course he’s a cousin,” he said. “One of the nicest fellows I know. Didn’t know you knew him. Odd about its being such a little world and all that, don’t you think?” He laughed. “Once I met a chap in India way up in the mountains. I was running around a bit, and he was tracking down a lost tribe or something of the sort. A while after that I walked into dad’s billiard room at home, and there was the Johnny playing billiards with himself, cool as you please! He stopped, and said, ‘Hullo, didn’t know you knew this family!’