“Good gracious, Maggie, what ails you now?” wailed little Mr. Alexander, wishing to thrust her into the cab, in order to permit them to drive on.
“Take me back to the hotel! I cannot go——” she seemed to grow faint and her head drooped forward.
“She’s ill, Mr. Alexander,” whispered Mr. Dalken, anxiously.
“Well, we’ll lift her in the cab, and the air’ll bring her to, as soon as the driver starts,” suggested her husband.
The chauffeur now ventured a disconcerting announcement. “If you-all planned to catch the noon express, you’re goin’ to be disappointed. Can’t possibly make it now, not if you had wings to fly there.”
“Why, man, we’ve got to catch it! Made dates with business men for to-morrow,” said Jack impatiently, looking at his watch.
“Too bad, but you-all can understand that I’m not talking for my own good, seein’ that I’m losin’ all these fares to the station,” said the driver.
“He’s kerrect, Jack!” cried Mr. Alexander, in distress. “No use scootin’ to catch that train. Gotta wait fer the five o’clock now.” But his expression boded no future peace to his wife, who had been the cause of the delay.
Mrs. Alexander was too wise an actress to revive immediately after she had won her game. She allowed them to carry her into the ladies’ parlor, and there she secured the interest of the maid by slipping her a liberal tip to attend upon her.
Mrs. Courtney remained with the sighing lady, but the girls would not join them, lest Dodo express her candid opinion of this unusual incident. In fact, it was all Polly could do to restrain Dodo from telling her mother what she believed to be the truth; and the men were equally engaged in keeping Mr. Alexander from announcing to his wife his intentions to divorce her. Mr. Dalken laughed and explained that a husband had to prove more serious misdemeanors on the part of a wife than clever acting.