The Witness by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz (mobi reader android TXT) 📕

"He Thinks I Really Ought To Go," Said Bonnie To The Nurse,  Who Had Just

Returned.

"Didn't I Tell You So,  Dear?" Said The Nurse.

"How Soon Would The Doctor Let Her Travel?" Asked Courtland.

"Why,  I'll Go Ask Him. You Want To Put It In Your Message,  Don't You?"

"She's A Dear!" Said Bonnie,  With A Tender Look After Her.

"_Isn't_ She A Peach!" Seconded Courtland,  Enthusiastically.

The Nurse Was Back Almost At Once,  Reporting That Bonnie Might Travel By

The Middle Of The Week If All Went Well.

"But Could I Get Ready To Go So Soon?" Said The Girl,  A Shade Of Trouble

Coming Into Her Eyes. "I Must Go Back And Pack Up My Things,  You Know,

And Clean The Room."

Courtland And The Nurse Exchanged Meaningful Glances.

"Now Look Here!" Began Courtland,  With His Engaging Smile. "Why Couldn't

The Nurse And I Do All That's Necessary? How About To-Morrow Afternoon?

Could You Get Off Awhile,  Miss Wright? I Don't Have Any Basket-Ball

Practice Till Tuesday,  And I Could Get Off Right After Dinner. Miss

Brentwood,  You Could Tell The Nurse Just What You Want Done With Your

Things,  And I'll Warrant She And I Have Sense Enough To Pack Up One

Little Room."

After Some Persuasion Bonnie Half Consented,  And Then They Attended To

The Telegram.

     Your Wonderful Invitation Accepted With Deep Gratitude. Will

     Start As Soon As Able. Probably Wednesday Night. Will Write.

                                        Rose Bonner Brentwood.

Was What They Finally Evolved. Bonnie Had Been Divided Between A Desire

To Save Words And A Longing To Show Her Appreciation Of The Kindness.

But The Strangest Thing Of All Was That,  In His Eagerness,  The Paper

Courtland Fumbled Out From His Pocket To Write It Upon Was Gila Dare's

Unopened Letter,  Reeking With Violets. He Frowned As He Realized It,  And

Stuffed It Back In His Pocket Again.

Courtland Enjoyed Sending That Telegram. He Enjoyed It So Much That He

Sent Another Along With It On His Own Account,  Which Read:

     Three Cheers For The Best Mother In The United States! She's

     Coming And You Ought To See Her Eyes Shine!

It Was On The Way Back To The University That He Happened To Remember

Gila's Letter.

     My Dear Mr. Courtland:

The Very First Line Translated Courtland Into Another World From The One

In Which He Had Been Living During The Past Three Days. Its Perfumed

Breath Struck Harshly On His Soul.

     I Am Writing To Report On The Case Of The Poor Girl Whom You

     Asked Me To Help. I Was Very Anxious To Please You And Did

     My Best; But You Remember That I Warned You That Persons Of

     That Sort Were Likely To Be Most Difficult And

     Ungrateful--Indeed,  Quite Impossible Sometimes. And So,

     Perhaps,  You Will Be Somewhat Prepared For The Disappointing

     Report I Have To Give.

     I Went To The Hospital This Afternoon,  Putting Off Several

     Engagements To Do So. I Was Quite Surprised To Find The Girl

     In A Private Room,  But Of Course Your Kindness Made That

     Possible For Her,  Which Makes Her Utter Ingratitude All The

     More Unpardonable.

     I Took With Me Several Very Pretty Frocks Of My Own,  Quite

     Good,  Some Of Them Scarcely Worn At All,  For I Know Girls Of

     That Sort Care More For Clothes Than Anything Else. But I

     Found Her Quite Sullen And Disagreeable. She Wouldn't Look

     At The Things I Had Brought,  Although I Suggested Several

     Ways In Which I Intended To Help Her And Make It Possible

     For Her To Have A Few Friends Of Her Own Class Who Would

     Make Her Forget Her Troubles. She Just Lay And Stared At Me

     And Said,  Quite Impertinently,  That She Didn't Remember Ever

     Having Met Me. And When I Mentioned Your Name She Denied

     Ever Having Seen You. She Even Dared To Ask Me To Leave The

     Room. And The Nurse Was Most Insulting.

     But Don't Worry About It In The Least,  For Papa Has Promised

     To Have The Nurse Removed At Once From Her Position,  And

     Blacklisted,  So That She Can't Ever Get Another Place In A

     Decent Hospital.

     I Am Afraid You Will Be Disappointed In Your Protegee,  And I

     Am Awfully Sorry,  For I Would Have Enjoyed Doing Her Good;

     But You See How Impossible It Was.

     You Are Not To Feel Put Out That I Was Treated That Way,  For

     I Really Enjoyed Doing Something For You; And You Know It Is

     Good For One To Suffer Sometimes. I'll Be Delighted To Go

     Slumming For You Any Time Again That You Say,  And Please

     Don't Mind Asking Me. It's Much Better For Me To Look After

     Any Girls That Need Help Than It Is For You,  Because Girls

     Of That Sort Are So Likely To Impose Upon A Young Man's

     Sympathies.

     My Cousin Has Been Telling Me How You Have Been Looking

     After Some Of The Work Of A Student Who Is Majoring In

     Sociology,  So I'm Beginning To Understand Why You Took This

     Girl Up. I Do Hope You'll Let Me Help. Suppose You Run Over

     This Evening And We Can Talk It Over. I'm Giving Up Two

     Whole Engagements To Stay At Home For You,  So I Hope You

     Will Properly Appreciate It,  And If Anything Hinders Your

     Coming,  Would You Mind Calling Up And Letting Me Know?

     Hoping To See You This Evening,

                  Your True Friend And Fellow-Worker,

                                              Gila Dare.

The Letter Struck A False Note In The Harmony Of The Day. It Annoyed

Courtland Beyond Expression That He Had Made Such A Blunder As To Send

Gila After Bonnie. He Could Not Understand Why Gila Had Not Had Better

Discernment Than To Think Bonnie An Object Of Charity. His Indignation

Was Still Burning Over The Trouble And Peril Her Action Had Brought To

Bonnie. Yet He Hated To Have His Opinion Of Gila Shaken. He Had Arranged

It In His Mind That She Was A Sweet And Lovely Girl,  One In Every Way

Similar To Solveig The Innocent,  And He Did Not Care To Change It. He

Tried To Remember Gila's Conventional Upbringing,  And Realize That She

Had No Conception Of A Girl Out Of Her Own Social Circle Other Than As A

Menial To Whom To Condescend. The Vision Of Her Loveliness In Rose And

Silver,  With Her Prayer-Book "In Her 'Kerchief" Was Still Dimly Forcing

Him To Be At Least Polite And Accept Her Letter Of Apology For Her

Failure,  As He Could But Suppose It Was Sincerely Meant.

Then All At Once A New Fact Dawned Upon Him. The Invitation Had Been For

Saturday Evening! This Was Sunday Evening! And Now What Was He To Do? He

Might Call Her Up And Apologize,  But What Could He Say. Bill Ward Might

Have Told Her By This Time That He Knew The Letter Had Been Received. A

Blunt Confession That He Had Forgotten To Read It Might Offend,  Yet What

Else Could He Do? It Was Most Annoying!

He Went To The Telephone As Soon As He Reached The College. The Fellows

Had Already Gone Down To The Evening Meal. He Could Hear The Clink Of

China And Silver In The Distant Dining-Room. It Was A Good Time To

'Phone.

A Moment,  And Gila's Cool Contralto Answered: "_Hel_-Lo-_Oo_!" There Was

Something About The Way That Gila Said That Word That Conveyed A Whole

Lot Of Things,  Instantly Putting The Caller At His Distance,  But Placing

The Lady On A Pedestal Before Which It Became Most Desirable To Bow.

"This Is Paul Courtland!"

"Oh! Mr. Courtland!" Her Voice Was Freezing.

But Courtland Was Not Used To Being Frozen Out. "I Owe You An Apology,

Miss Dare," He Said,  With Dignity. He Didn't Care How Blunt He Sounded

Now. It Always Angered Him To Be Frozen! "Your Letter Reached Me Just

As I Was Leaving Here Last Evening On A Very Important Errand. I Put It

In My Pocket,  But I Have Been So Occupied That It Escaped My Mind

Utterly Until Just Now. I Hope I Did Not Cause You Much Inconvenience."

"Oh,  It Really Didn't _Mattah_ In The _Least_!" Answered Gila,

Indifferently. Nothing Could Be Colder Or More Distant Than Her Voice,

And Yet There Was Something In It This Time,  A Subtle Lure,  That

Exasperated. A Teasing Little Something At His Spirit Demanded To Be Set

Right In Her Eyes--To Have Her The Suppliant Rather Than Himself.

"I Really Am Awfully Ashamed," He Said,  In Quite A Boyish,  Humble Tone,

And Then Gasped At Himself. What Was There About Gila That Always "Got A

Fellow's Goat"?

After That Gila Had The Conversation Quite Where She Wanted It,  And

Finally She Told Him Sweetly That He Might Come Over This Evening If He

Chose. She Had Other Engagements,  But She Would Break Them All For Him.

"Suppose You Go To Church With Me This Evening," He Temporized. "I've

Found A Minister I'd Like To Have You Hear. He's Quite Original!"

There Was A Distinct Pause At The Other End Of The 'Phone,  While Gila's

Little White Teeth Came Cruelly Into Her Red Under Lip,  And Her Pearly

Forehead Drew The Straight,  Black,  Penciled Brows Naughtily. Then She

Answered,  In Sweetly Honeyed Tones:

"Why,  That Would Be Lovely! Perhaps I Will. What Time Do We Start?"

Something In Her Tone Annoyed Him,  Despite His Satisfaction At Having

Induced Her To Be Friends Again. Almost It Sounded Like