DUSKIN (15 page)

Reluctantly at last she hung up, realizing there wasn’t another thing she could do about Delaplaine, and that she had all she could handle right now in straightening out what she should do about Duskin. Somehow she had suddenly experienced a change of mind with regard to Duskin. Evidence or no evidence, there had been no mistaking what Delaplaine thought of Duskin, and Fawcett had said that Delaplaine was a wonder. There was no use; she was in a terrible jam and that was all there was about it. She wished she had followed Betty’s advice and let the old construction company go to the dogs. She wished she had gone to the seashore in Maine with the rocks and the sand and the sad sea waves and the excellent hotel in the background. And then she lost all respect for herself and flung her face down in the pillow and cried again. She just simply couldn’t do anything else. She who scarcely ever cried in her life had cried already twice on this miserable mission. It was high time she packed up and went home. She was doing worse than nothing. And now, how was she to get hold of Duskin? Somehow she must see him and placate him. It wouldn’t do for the job to be left without a manager.
She
wouldn’t know how to tell them to put in elevators or put on safety treads or finish trim. Oh if she only dared feel that the Lord would be her confidence as that verse had said. Her mother’s Lord! But what could the Lord do in a case like this? She had never paid much attention to the Lord.

Humbled at last to the dregs of despair, she began to realize that it was high time to get up and do
something.
Moreover, she was very hungry.

She looked at her watch and found to her horror that it was half past seven. Six hours since she had eaten the excellent, exciting lunch at the University Club with Duskin. Well, with Schlessinger safely out of the way for the evening, she might venture down to the hotel restaurant and get her dinner. Then while she was eating she could make some plan about getting hold of Duskin. She wished she had an idea where he spent his evenings or where he boarded or something, but doubtless the hotel clerk could help her in that.

She put on the little black satin dress and the string of pearls. It seemed as if anything more cheerful would be out of keeping with so grave a situation. She looked very pretty when she was ready to go down, with her slim gray-silk ankles and the little patent leather pumps with their bright buckles. She put on a fitted black satin coat and handbag. As she turned to leave the room something made her turn back and hunt out her little flashlight that she had stowed in her suitcase for use on the train. She had an idea in her mind and the flashlight might be needed.

Then, hesitating, she paused beside the bureau where her Bible still lay open at the place, her eyes eagerly scanning the page again. She turned a leaf or two and read, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Well, there was nothing in that! She was not companioning with anyone just now, and not likely to. She closed the book and left her room with the reflection that it was superstitious to expect to find guidance for present-day problems in a book that was written thousands of years ago.

When the elevator reached the lower floor she glanced quickly around the room and noticed two people sitting in the same seat where those two people had sat when she went up. Something familiar about them made her look again and see that one was a lady with white hair and a purple gown and lorgnette and the other a young man with a small mustache and a newspaper. They looked bored and tired and the lady was yawning, but she stifled her yawn and sat up suddenly as the elevator door opened.

As Carol passed by her she heard her say, “Paisley dear, do let us go out to dinner. I don’t think it is of the least use to wait any longer for Annabel. She has probably gone with her cousin, and I’m starved!”

Carol passed close by them and went to the desk. She wanted to ask the clerk to look up Duskin’s address for her while she was at dinner. Then she passed on into the dining room.

She chose a table a little to one side where she felt she might be more to herself. But while she was studying the menu she heard the purple lady’s drawl close beside her.

“No, waiter. I want to get near an electric fan, I said. Here,” and she turned toward Carol. “My dear
would
you mind if we sat at your table? The room is so full, and I
do
feel as though I must have the air from one of the fans. You are all alone—or—were you expecting someone to join you?”

“Not at all,” said Carol, trying to sound gracious but feeling dismay at the thought of having company just now when she wanted to think.

The two sat down with murmured thanks, and Carol withdrew to her menu. The young man adjusted his mother’s long-fringed, white silk shawl, took charge of her handbag and her fan, picked up her handkerchief, and put her into her chair. He sat down himself. The two had not a little discourse over their order and kept the waiter several minutes after Carol had given hers, deciding whether they would have artichokes or salad and whether the iced tea would be better than hot coffee. Carol sat impatiently and eager to be away, but she did not like to go to the length of getting up and going to another table, so she sat with half-averted gaze watching the people around her.

But as soon as her unwelcome neighbors had arrived at an agreement concerning their dinner they sat back and smiled at her much as if she were their guest.

“It was perfectly darling of you to let us come here, my dear,” said the lady, leaning over and touching Carol’s shoulder lightly with her jeweled lorgnette. “I should simply have died of heat over in the more crowded part of the room, and there wasn’t another fan except where the tables were full. You’re quite sure you won’t mind?”

“It’s perfectly all right,” said Carol, trying to make it a matter of indifference and smiling a trifle frigidly.

But the lady did not seem to feel the frigidity. Carol did not look at the young man to see whether he felt it or not.

“That’s sweet of you,” the lady said, “and I shall enjoy the evening all the more because you are young. I do so love young people. I’m quite provoked at my niece. She was to have met us for dinner tonight. But you will take her place. That makes it so nice. Are you a stranger in town or an old resident? I don’t think I’ve noticed you in the dining room before.”

“I’m from New York,” said Carol briefly.

“Oh, New
York.
“The woman fairly caressed the word. “You’ve wandered far. On a vacation, I suppose? Are you alone?”

“I’m a businesswoman,” explained Carol crisply, “and I’m here on business.”

Would the woman never let her alone?

“Oh really? How interesting,” persisted the woman. “Oh, do tell me about it. All these things that women are doing in this wonderful generation are so perfectly fascinating! I said to Paisley the other day, ‘Paisley, my son, you must really hunt up one of these interesting modern women for a wife. I’m dying to know one of them.’ And here you are right by my side. Now, do tell me what you do?”

Carol avoided looking where the said Paisley was sitting. She did not know whether or not he relished being dragged into the conversation like this, but so far as she was concerned she let him see that he did not exist. This woman must be squelched in some way or she would have to get up and leave the room before the dinner came.

“I represent the Fawcett Construction Company of New York,” she said quite coldly now, “and I’m here on business for Mr. Fawcett. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be interested in the details.”

Carol’s voice was so aloof that it really put a period to the conversation, and with the orders arriving just then there was no further opportunity for the lady’s talkativeness. But as soon as the dishes were arranged on the table and the three had begun to eat, the lady leaned forward once more, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

“My dear, I’m so excited I can’t eat till I’ve settled it. Did you say the Fawcett Construction Company! Don’t
tell
me it
isn’t
! It would be
too wonderful
!”

Carol had to admit that it was.

“But my dear! Isn’t this a coincidence! To think I should have met you this way! Why, my dear, I
went
to
boarding school
with Caleb Fawcett’s
wife
! We were the
dearest
friends! Think of it! And that I should meet you this way and we should find it out! Oh, my dear! Do tell me how she is? You know her, don’t you?”

“I have met her,” said Carol, remembering the efficient figure of Caleb’s wife as she entered the office and took command of the situation. If this woman was a friend of Mrs. Caleb Fawcett’s she would have to be at least polite to her. What a nuisance! It did seem strange that one couldn’t go to a far city on business without meeting up with a lot of people that had to be avoided. Schlessinger and Blintz and this Paisley and his mother. But of course she must be decent to them. Being friends of the Fawcetts made it a part of her job.

And now Paisley himself was brought into the conversation most adroitly.

“But really, my dear, we ought to know one another’s names. I’m Mrs. Arthwait, and this is my son Paisley. We’re
delighted
to meet you, aren’t we, Paisley dear?”

“I’m Miss Berkley,” said Carol reluctantly. What a lot of things she was getting into. What would her mother say?

Paisley proved to be rather a silent party. He assented to all that his mother said, ordered a bottle of wine, of which he offered some to Carol and she declined. He smoked a good many cigarettes, which he also offered to her and she declined. He told one or two harmless jokes and laughed a good deal. On the whole he did not figure heavily in the general accounting.

Carol hurried through her dinner as rapidly as possible, but so did her neighbors, and as she was preparing to leave the table Mrs. Arthwait leaned over eagerly and said, “Now, Miss Berkley, you’re going to give us the pleasure of your company the rest of the evening, I’m sure. What shall we do, see a play or a picture, or just ride? It’s almost too hot to stay indoors tonight, isn’t it?”

“You’ll have to excuse me,” said Carol, shoving back her chair. “I have to look up someone whom I must see tonight if possible.”

“Oh, my dear Miss Berkley, then do let us help you. I’m sure we can help you. Let us take you to wherever you are going. Paisley has his car here, and it will be much pleasanter than riding in a taxi. Go get the car, Paisley, and bring it around to the front entrance. Oh, my dear! How pleased I am that we can do something for the friend of my dear old schoolmate. You must tell Mrs. Fawcett when you get back what a delight it was to hear about her again and how glad I am we could do something to help you. She will remember me as Ida Lacey. Now, you won’t forget to tell her, will you? Shall we go out to the car now, or must you go upstairs again? Oh, I see you
have
a wrap, though you’ll scarcely need it.”

She chattered her way out to the car, and Carol, much to her disgust, found herself seated with Paisley Arthwait at the wheel and his mother beside her.

Well, perhaps, she reasoned, it was the easiest way to get rid of them. She would drive to Duskin’s boarding place, the address of which the clerk at the desk had obtained for her, and there also would dismiss them. Then after they were gone she would do what she pleased.

Nevertheless, in spite of this reasoning, she felt a trifle uneasy driving off this way alone with utter strangers through a strange city. It was all nonsense of course, but she kept thinking what her mother had said to her as she left her.

Then strangely enough, that Bible verse about companioning with fools kept coming to mind. Yes, she must get rid of them somehow right away.

She had put on her slim black coat and pulled her hat down over her eyes, but still she could not get her mother’s warning out of her mind.

So they drove away into the night.

B
ut the Arthwaits were not easily shaken.

They insisted on waiting at Duskin’s boardinghouse, to be sure that Duskin was there. In fact, Paisley asserted himself and went to the door to enquire before he would let his guest alight from the car.

It was a plain little boardinghouse in a side street at which they stopped, and Carol had great doubts as to whether they had found the right place.

“Is this where Mr. Philip Duskin is staying?” she called from the car to make sure.

The landlady was a quiet, plain-faced woman, and the hallway behind her looked neat and clean and homelike, but not what she would have thought Philip Duskin would have chosen for even a temporary home.

“Yes, his name is Philip,” the landlady said, “but he don’t
stay
here, if that’s what you mean. His trunk is here and he pays for his room, and he sometimes comes back to get a bath, but I haven’t seen him for a week. He’s been off to Chicago, and he’s been working night and day. I’m sure I don’t know how he stands it. I’m glad he ain’t my son. I’d be worried to death about him. He don’t look well either. He’s got dark circles under his eyes, and he hardly eats a bite, just drinks coffee and runs back when he does happen to be here for a meal.”

“Do you know where I can find him now?” asked Carol, feeling somehow as if she had been all wrong everywhere.

“Well, I reckon he’s nowhere but on the job, unless he had to go out and cut down a tree to make more boards for the floor, or gather mud to make some bricks or something. He beats all for how he works. But I can’t say where he is at present. If you leave your name I’ll tell him when he comes in, but I can’t say fer sure when that’ll be. May not be fer a week.”

Carol declined to leave a message, and she wished most heartily that she was rid of the Arthwaits. But when they began to suggest a ride out into the suburbs, she declined and asked them to leave her at the building as she wanted to find out if anybody was there.

There was a dim light in the lower floor, and Carol, as she picked her way up the steps, feared that the door might be locked and that no one would hear her knock. But it chanced that the door was ajar, for the boy from the restaurant in the next block had forgotten to slam it behind him when he came down after delivering the evening ration of coffee and sandwiches.