“You needn’t mind her,” he said sheepishly. “She knows all about it. I ’fessed up!” and he gave Grace a look of understanding that was answered in full kind.
“Wasn’t his singing wonderful?” said Grace in an earnest voice with a great light in her eyes. “I kept praying and feeling sure he would come. And just at the last minute, when I’d almost made up my mind I must sing it myself, he came. I just had time to hand him the music before it was time for him to begin. It was simply great of him to sing it like that when he was suffering, and with only that second to prepare himself.”
Carey smiled, but a twinge of pain made the smile a ghastly grin, and they hurried him into the car and home, taking Grace Kendall with them for just a few minutes’ talk, Maxwell promising to take her home soon. They established Carey on the big couch with cushions under his shoulder; and then Harry could stand it no longer, and came out with the story, which he had already told in full detail to Louise outside the choir-room door, giving a full account of Maxwell’s part in the fight. It was the first that Carey knew of their presence at the cross-roads, and there was much to tell, and many questions to answer on all sides. Harry had the floor with entire attention, much to his delight, while he told every detail of the capture of the two and his own tying of the man who got away. Maxwell had his share of honor and praise, and in turn told how brave Harry had been, fooling his man with his jack-knife for a revolver. Everybody was excited and everybody was talking at once. Nobody noticed that twice Carey called Grace by her first name; and once Maxwell said “Cornelia,” and then talked fast to hide his embarrassment. The father came in, and sat quietly listening in the corner, his face filled with pride, gathering the story bit by bit from the broken sentences of the different witnesses, until finally Harry said:
“Say, Kay, whaddidya do with that stolen car?”
Carey grinned from his pillows.
“Left her on the road somewhere in front of the church, with the three girls in the back seat.”
“Good night!” Harry jumped up importantly. “Kay, do you know that car was stolen? I heard ’em say so. They called it ‘borrowed,’ but that means they stole it. You might get arrested.”
“I should worry!” shrugged Carey, making a wry face at the pain his move had cost him. “I’m not in it any more, am I?”
“But the girls!” said Harry again. “D’you s’pose they’re in it yet?”
“Don’t you worry about those girls, Harry,” growled Carey, frowning. “They weren’t born yesterday. They’ll look out for themselves. And I might as well finish this thing up right here and now, and own up that I’ve been a big fool to ever have anything to do with girls like that; and I’m glad my sister went to work and invited one of ’em here to show me what a fool I had been. I don’t mind telling you that I’m going to try to have more sense in future; and say, Nell haven’t you got anything round to eat. I certainly am hungry, and I’ve got to work tomorrow, remember.”