xt75mk654h7n https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt75mk654h7n/data/mets.xml Andrews, Mary Raymond Shipman, d. 1936. 1906  books b92-165-30098716 English Doubleday, Page, : Garden City, N.Y. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Good Samaritan  / by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews ; illustrated by Charlotte Harding. text Good Samaritan  / by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews ; illustrated by Charlotte Harding. 1906 2002 true xt75mk654h7n section xt75mk654h7n A GOOD SAMARITAN

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" That'll get even Webster's Union for chargin'
     me two cents for ' soon,"'" he chuckled



  i
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17
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     K 
I0 A

 







A GOOD SAMARITAN

               BY

  MARY RAYMOND SHIPMAN ANDREWS



Illustrated by Charlotte Harding

       NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE  COMPANY
         MCMX

 























           Copyright 1906
     By McClure, Phillips  Co.

















Copyright 1904, by The S. S. McClure Cow


 








    LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"That'll get even Webster's Union for
   chargin' me two cents for 'soon,"'
   he chuckled .   . . .    . Frontispiece
                                 Facing
                                 page
"Reck y," he bubbled, "'good old Recky
   -bes' fren' ev' had"  . . . .   8
" Who's your friend, Billy"  . . . 10
" Thank you - thank you very much
      very, very much -old rhi-
   noceros".. 18
" So tired," he remarked. "Go'n have
   good nap now" ..20
" Could he - couldn't he" .  . . 26
At every station the conductor and Rex
    had to reason with him  . . . . 36

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        A GOOD SAMARITAN
The little District Telegraph boy, with a dirty
face, stood at the edge of the desk, and, rub-
bing his sleeve across his cheek, made it un-
necessarily dirtier.
  "Answer, sir  "
  "No - yes - wait a minute." Reed tore
the yellow envelope and spread the telegram.
It read:
  " Do I meet you at your office or at Martin's
and what time "
  "The devil!" Reed commented, and the
boy blinked indifferently. He was used to
stronger. "The casual Rex all over! Yes,
boy, there's an answer." He scribbled rap-
idly, and the two lines of writing said this:
  " Waiting for you at office now. Hurry up.
C. Reed."
  He fumbled in his pocket and gave the
youngster a coin. " See that it's sent instantly
                     S

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



-like lightning. Run!" and the sharp little
son of New York was off before the last word
was well out.
  Half an hour later, to Reed waiting at his
office in Broadway impatiently, there strolled
in a good-looking and leisurely young man
with black clothes on his back and peace and
good-will on his face. "Hope I haven't kept
you waiting, Carty," he remarked in friendly
tones. "Plenty of time, isn't there"
  "No, there isn't," his cousin answered, and
there was a touch of snap in the accent.
"Really, Rex, you ought to grow up and be
responsible. It was distinctly arranged that
you should call here for me at six, and now
it's a quarter before seven."
  " Couldn't remember the hour or the place
to save my life," the younger man asserted
earnestly. " I'm just as sorry as I can be,
Carty. You see I did remember we were to
dine at Martin's. So much I got all right-
and that was something, wasn't it, Carty"
he inquired with an air of wistful pride, and



4

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



the frown on the face of the other dissolved
in laughter.
  "Rex, there's no making you over - worse
luck. Come along. I've got to go home to
dress after dinner you see, before we make our
call. You'll do, on the strength of being a
theological student."
  The situation was this: Reginald Fairfax,
in his last year at the Theological Seminary,
in this month of May, and lately ordained, had
been seriously spoken of as assistant to the
Rector of the great church of St. Eric's. It
was a remarkable position to come the way of
an undergraduate, and his brilliant record at
the seminary was one of the two things which
made it possible. The other was the friend-
ship and interest of his cousin, Carter Reed,
head clerk in the law firm of Rush, Walden,
Lee and Lee, whose leading member, Judge
Rush, was also senior warden at St. Eric's.
Reed had called Judge Rush's attention to
his young cousin's career, and, after some in-
quiry, the vestryman had asked that the



5

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



young man should be brought to see him, to
discuss certain questions bearing on the work.
It was almost equivalent to a call coming from
such a man, and Reed was delighted; but
here his troubles began. In vain did he hope-
fully fix date after date with the slippery Rex
- something always interfered. Twice, to
his knowledge, it had been the chance of see-
ing a girl from Orange which had thrown over
the chance of seeing the man of influence and
power. Once the evening had been definitely
arranged with Judge Rush himself, and Reed
was obliged to go alone and report that the
candidate had disappeared into a tenement
district and no one knew where to find him.
The effect of that was fortunately good
Judge Rush was rather pleased than otherwise
that a young clergyman should be so taken
up with his work as to forget his interests,
But Reed was most anxious that this eve
ning's appointment should go off success-
fully, while Rex was as light-hearted as a
bird. Any one would have thought it was



6

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



Reed's own future he was laboring over in-
stead of that of the youngster who had a gift
of making men care for him and work for him
without effort on his own part.
  The two walked down Broadway toward
the elevated road, Rex's dark eyes gathering
amusement here and there in the crowded
way as they went.
  "Look at Billy Strong -why there's Billy
Strong across the street. Come over and
I'll present you, Carty. Just the chap you
want to meet. He's a great athlete  on the
water-polo team of the New York Athletic
Club, you know - as much of an old sport
as you are." And Reed found himself swung
across and standing before a powerful, big
figure of a man, almost before he could answer.
There was another man with the distinguished
Billy, and Reed had not regarded the two for
more than one second before he discovered
that they were both in a distinct state of in-
toxication. In fact, Strong proclaimed the
truth at once, false shame cast to the winds.



7

 


8       A GOOD SAMARITAN
He threw his arm about Rex's neck with a
force of affection which almost knocked down
the quartette.
  "Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky-
bes' fren' ev' had - I'm drunk, Recky - too
bad. We're both drunk. Take's home."
Rex glanced at his cousin in dismay, and
Strong repeated his invitation cordially.
" Take's home, Recky," he insisted, with the
easy air of a man who confers an honor. "'S up
to you, Recky."
  Rex looked at his frowning cousin doubt-
fully, pleadingly.
  "It almost seems as if it was, doesn't it,
Carty' he said. "We can't leave them like
this."
  "I don't see why we can't - I can," Reed
asserted. " It's none of our business, Rex,
and we really haven't time to palaver. Come
along."
  The gentle soul of Rex Fairfax was sur-
prisingly firm. "Carty, they'd be arrested
in five minutes," he reasoned. "It's a won-


 


































"Becky," he bubbled, good old Recky - bes' fren'
                   ev' had "

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A GOOD SAMARITAN



der they haven't been already. And Billy's
people- it would break their hearts. I
know some of them well, you see. I was
with him only last week over in Orange."
  "Oh!" Reed groaned. "That Girl from
Orange again." He opened his lips once
more to launch nervous English against this
quixotism, but Strong interposed.
  "'S all true," he solemnly stated, fixing
his eyes rollingly on Reed.  "Got Orange-
colored cousin what break Recky's heart
if don't take's home. Y'see-y'see-"
The President of these United States in a
cabinet council would have stopped to listen
to him, so freighted with great facts coming
was his confidential manner. "Y'see
wouldn't tell ev'body-only you," and he
laid a mighty hand on Reed's shoulder. "I'm
so drunk. Awful pity too bad," and he
sighed deeply. "Now, Recky, ol' man, take's
home."
  "Who's your friend, Billy" Rex inquired,
disregarding this appeal.



9

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



  Billy burst into a shout of laughter which
Fairfax promptly clipped by putting his
hand over the big man's mouth. "He's
bes' joke yet," Strong remarked through
Rex's fingers. "He's go'n' kill himself,"
and he kissed the restraining hand gallantly.
  The two sober citizens turned and stared
at the gentlemen. He looked it. He looked
as if there could be no step deeper into the
gloom which enveloped him, except suicide.
He nodded darkly as the two regarded him.
  "Uh-huh. Life's failure. Lost cuff-button.
Won't live to be indecent. Go'n' kill m'self
soon's this dizhiness goesh pasht. Billy's
drunk, but I'm subject to - to dizhiness."
  Rex turned to his cousin with a gesture.
"You see, Carty, we can't leave them. I'm
just as disappointed as you are, but it would
be a beastly thing to do, to let them get pulled
in as common drunks. What's your friend's
name" he demanded again of Strong.
  " Got lovely name," he averred eagerly.
"Good ol' moth-eaten name. Name's Schuy-



10


 



















" JVho's your friend, Billy  "



t

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        A GOOD     SAMARITAN           11
ler VanCourtlandt Van de Water -ain't it
Schuylie -ain't that your name -or's that
mine I I f'rget lil' things," he said in an
explanatory manner.
  But the suicide spoke up for himself.
"Tha's my name," he said aggressively.
"Knew it in a minute. Tha's my father's
name and my grandfath's name, and
my great grandfath's name and my great-
great --"
  " Stop," said Rex tersely, and the man
stopped. "Now tell me where you live."
  Billy Strong leaned over and punched the
man in the ribs. "You lemme tell 'em. Lives
nine-thous-n sixt'-four East West Street," he
addressed Rex, and chuckled.
  "Don't be a donkey, Billy -tell me his
right address." Rex spoke with annoyance
- this scene was getting tiresome, and al-
though Reed was laughing hopelessly, he was
on his mind.
  " Oh! F'got!" Billy's tipsy coyness was
elephantine. "Lives six thous'n sev'nty four

 


12      A GOOD     SAMARITAN
North S - South Street," and he roared with
laughter.
  Rex was about to learn how to manage
Billy Strong. "Bill," he said, "be decent.
You're making me lots of trouble," and Bil-
ly burst into tears and sobbed out:
  "Wouldn' make Recky trouble for worlds
- good ol' Recky - half-witted ol' goat, but
bes' fren' ev' had," and the address was cap-
tured.
  Rex turned to his cousin, his winning, dep-
recating manner warning Reed but soften-
ing him against his will. "Carty," he said,
"there's nothing for it, but for you to take
one chap and I the other and see 'em home.
It's only a little after seven and we ought to
be able to meet by half-past eight - at the
Hotel Netherland, say - that's near the
Rush's. We'll have to give up dinner, but
we'll get a sandwich somewhere, and we'll
do. I'll take Strong because he's more trou-
blesome -I think I can manage him. It's
awfully good of you, and I can tell you

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



I appreciate it. But it wouldn't be civil-
ized to do less, old Carty, would it "
And Reed found himself, grumbling but
docile, linked to the suicide's arm and
guiding his shuffling foot-steps in the way
they should go.
  "Now, we'll both kill ourselves, old Carty,
won't we" Rex heard his cousin's charge
mumble cheerfully as they started off, with a
visible lengthening of his gloom at the thought
of companionship at death.
  Strong was marching along with an un-
earthly decorum that should have made Fair-
fax suspicious. But instead it cheered his
optimistic soul immensely. " Good for you
old man," he said encouragingly. " At this
rate we'll get you home in no time." And
Billy, at that second, thrust out his great shoul-
der into the crowd, and almost knocked a man
down. The man, whirled sidewise in front of
them, glared savagely.
  " What do you mean by that" he de-
manded. Strong, to whom nothing would



13

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



have given more joy than a tussle, bent down
and peered into the other's face.
  "Is it a man or a monkey" he piped, and
shrieked with laughter.
  The man's strained temper broke sudden-
ly and Rex caught him by the arm as he was
about to spring for Strong, and promptly threw
himself between the two.
  " Look here, Billy," he remonstrated, "if
you fight anybody it's got to be me," and he
spoke over his shoulder to the stranger. "You
see what I'm up against. I'm getting him
home - do just go on," and the man went.
  But Billy's head was in his guardian's neck
and he was spluttering and sobbing. "Fight
you Nev - s' help me - nev'- Fight poor,
ole fool Recky - bes' fren' ev' had No sir.
I wouldn' fight you Recky,"' and he raised a
tear-stained face and gazed mournfully into
his eyes. " D'ye think I'd   "
  "Oh, shut up!" Rex ejaculated, "and hold
sour head up, Billy. You make me sick."
  The intoxicated heavy freight being under



14

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



way again, Rex looked about for the rest of
the train, but in vain. After a halt of a min-
ute or so he decided that they were lost and
would have to stay lost, the situation being
too precarious, in this land of policemen,
with one hundred and ninety pounds of noisy
uncertainty on his hands, to risk any unnec-
essary movement. Billy kept every breath
of time alive and varied. Within two min-
utes of the first adventure he managed to put
his elbow clearly and forcibly into a small man's
mouth, and before the other could resent it:
  "'S my elbow, sir," he said, haughtily,
stopping and staring down.
  " Well, why in thunder don't you keep it
where it belongs " snapped the man, and
Billy caught him by the sleeve.
  " Lil' sir," he said impressively, "if you
should bite off my elbow, you saucy baggage"
- and the thought was too much for him.
Tears filling his eyes he turned to Rex. " Rec-
ky, you spank that lil' sir," he pleaded broken-
ly. "He's too lii' for me -I'd hurt him"-.



15

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



and Rex meditated again. A shock came
when they reached the corner of Broadway
and Chambers Street. "Up's' daisy," crowed
Billy Strong, and swung Fairfax facing up-
town with a mighty heave.
  "The Elevated station's down a block, old
chap," explained the sober contingent. "We
have to take the Elevated to Seventy-second
you know, and walk across to your place."
  Billy looked at him pityingly. "You poor
lil' pup," he crooned. "Didn' I keep tellin'
you had to go Chris'pher Street ferry meet a
girl Goin' theater with girl." He tipped
his derby one-sided and started off on a cake-
walk.
  Rex had to march beside him willy-nilly.
"Look here, Billy," he reasoned, exasperated
at this entirely fresh twist in the corKscrew
business of getting Strong home. "Look
here, Billy, this is tommy-rot. You haven't
any date with a girl, and if you had you could-
n't keep it. Come along home, man; that's
the place for you."



16

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



  But Billy was suddenly a Gibraltar of firm-
ness. " Got date with lovely blue-eyed girlie
couldn't dish'point her. Unmanly deed
Recky, d' you want bes' fren' ev' had to do
unmanly deed, and dish'point trustin' female 
Nev', Recky - nev', ol' man. Lesh be true to
th' ladies till hell runs dry - Oh, 'scuse me
Recky - f'got you was parson - till well
runs dry, meant say. That all right Come on
t' Chris'pher Street." And in spite of desperate
attempts, of long argument and appeal on
Rex's part, to Christopher Street they went.
  The ministering angel had no hankering to
risk his charge in a street-car, so, as the dis-
tance was not great, they walked.
  Fairfax's dread was that, having saved his
friend so far, he should attract the attention
of a policeman and be arrested. So he kept
a sharp lookout for bluecoats and passed them
studiously on the other side. What was his
horror therefore, turning a corner, to turn
squarely into the majestic arm of the law, and
what was his greater horror, to hear Billy Strong



17

 


18      A GOOD      SAMARITAN
suavely address him. Billy lifted his hat to the
large, fat officer as he might have lifted it to
his sweetheart in her box at the Horse Show.
  "Would you have the g - goodness to tell
me," he inquired, with distinguished courtesy,
"if this is "- Billy's articulation was improv-
ing, but otherwise he was just as tipsy as ever
- "if this is - Chris-to-pher Street - or
or Wednesday"
  " Hey  " inquired the policeman, and stared.
Repartee seemed not to be his forte.
  "Thank you - thank you very much" -
Billy's gratitude spilled over conventional
limits -"very, very much - old rhinoceros,"
he finished, and shot suddenly ahead, drag-
ging Rex with him into the whirlpool of a
moving crowd, and it dawned on the police-
man five minutes later that the courtly gentle-
man was drunk.
  The anxiety of this game was its unexpect-
edness. Strong, in the turn of a hand grew
playful, after the fashion of a mammoth kitten.
He bounded this way and that, knocking into


 













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A GOOD SAMARITAN



somebody inevitably at every leap, and at each
contact he wheeled toward the injured and lift-
ed his hat and bowed low and brought out " I
- beg - your - pardon" with a drawl of
sarcastic emphasis too insulting to be de-
scribed.
  " Billy," pleaded Rex, taking to pathos,
"don't do that again. You'll get arrested, and
maybe they'll arrest me too, and you don't
want to get me into a hole, do you"
  Billy stopped short with a suddenness which
came near to upsetting his guide, and put both
large hands on Rex's shoulders, and gazed into
his eyes with a world of blurred affection.
"Reck, ol' fel'," and his voice broke with a
sob, "if I got you into hole, I'd jump in hole
after you, and I'd - and I'd - pull hole in
after both of us, and then I'd - I'd tell hole
you was bes' fren' ev' had, and  "
  "Come along and behave," cut in the vic-
tim of this devotion shortly. " Don't be a fool."
  Strong lifted a fatherly forefinger. " Naughty
naughty! Shouldn' call brother fool. Danger



19

 


20      A GOOD SAMARITAN
hell fire if you call brother fool. Nev' min',
Recky - we un'stand each other. Two fools.
I'm go'n behave." He knocked his derby in the
back so it rested on his nose, stuck his chin up
to meet it, and started off in the most unmis-
takable semblance of a tipsy man to be met
anywhere. "See me behavin' " he remarked
sidewise, with a gleam of rollicking deviltry
out of his eyes.
  Christopher Street ferry was reached safe-
ly by a miracle, and inside the ferry-house
Strong made a bee line for a truck and threw
his great body full length upon it with a loud
yawn of joy. "So tired," he remarked. " Go'n
have good nap now," and he closed his eyes
peacefully.
  " See here, Billy, this won't do. You said you
had to meet a girl - what about that"
  "Oh, tha's all right," Billy agreed easily.
  You meet girl - tell her you got me drunk,"
and he turned over and prepared for slumber.
Strenuous argument was necessary to rouse
him even to half a sense of responsibility.


 









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A GOOD SAMARITAN



"Recky, dear, you -'noy me," he said with
severity, coming to a sitting position and con-
templating Rex with mild displeasure. "What
kin' girl Why, jes' girly-girl. Lovely blue-eyed
girly-girl - kind of girl - colored hair,"
he swept his hand descriptively over his own
black locks. "Wears sort of -skirts, you
know -you 'member the kind. All of 'em
same thing - well, she wears 'em too. Tha's
all," and he dropped heavily back to the truck
and retired into his coat collar.
  Rex shook him. "That won't do, Billy. I
can't pick out a girl on that. Will there be a
chaperone with her"
  "No!" thundered Billy.
  "How is a girl allowed to go to the theater
with you without a chaperone" inquired Rex
incredulously. "This is New York."
  Strong brought down his fist. "Death to
chaperones! A bas les chaperones! Don't you
think girl's mother trust her to me  " Look at
me! I'll be chaperone to tha' girl, and father,
'n' mother, 'n' a few uncles and aunts." He



21

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



threw his arm out with a gesture which com-
prised the universe. "I'll be all the world to
tha' girl. You go meet her 'n' tell her you got
me drunk," he concluded with a radiant smile.
  Rex considered. There seemed to be enough
method in Strong's madness to justify the be-
lief that he had an engagement. If so, he must
by all means wait and trust to luck to pick out
the " lovely blue-eyed girlie " who was the
" party of the other part," and hope for an in-
spiration as to what to tell her. She might be
with or without a chaperone, she might be any
variety of the species, but Strong seemed to be
quite clear that she had blue eyes.
  The crowd from the incoming boat began
to unload into the ferry-house, and Rex placed
himself anxiously by the entrance. Three or
four thin men scurried in advance, then a
bunch of stout and middle-aged persons strag-
gled along puffing. Then came a set of young
people in theater array, chattering and laugh-
ing as they hurried, and another set, and an-
other - the main body of the little army was



922

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



upon him. Rex scanned them for a girl alone
or a girl with her mother. Ah! here she was
this must be Strong's "blue-eyed girlie." She
was alone and pretty, a little under-bred and
blond. Rex lifted his hat.
  "I beg your pardon," he said, in his most
winning way; " are you waiting for Mr.
Strong  "
  The girl threw up her head and looked
frightened, and then angry.
  "No, I am not," she said, and then, with a
haughty look, "I call you pretty saucy," and
Rex was left mortified and silent, while a pass-
ing man murmured, " Served you right," and a
woman laughed scornfully. He stalked across
to the tranquil form on the truck.
  " Billy," he said, and shook a massive shoul-
der. "Wake up. Tell me that girl's name."
  Strong opened his eyes like a baby waked
from dewy sleep. " Wha's that, Recky
dear old Recky - bes' fren'   "
  "Cut that out," said Rex, sharply. "Tell
me the name of the girl you're waiting here to



23

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



meet," and he laughed a short bitter laugh.
The girl whom "Billy" was waiting to meet!
Rex was getting tired and hungry.
  Strong smiled a gentle, obstinate, tipsy smile
and shook his head. "No, Recky, dear ol'
fren' - bes' fren' - well, nev' min'. Can't
tell girl's name; tha's her secret."
  "Don't be an ass, Billy -quick, now, tell
me the name."
  "Naughty, naughty!" quoted Billy again,
and waggled his forefinger. "Danger hell fire!
Couldn' tell girl's name, Recky - be dishon'-
able. Couldn', no, couldn'. Anythin' else-
ask m' anythin' else in all these wide worlds"
- and he struck his breast with fervor. "Tell
you anythin', Recky, but couldn' betray trustin'
girl's secret."
  "Billy, can't you give me an idea what the
girl's like" pleaded Rex desperately. Billy
smiled up at him drowsily. "Perfectly good
girl," he elucidated. "Good eyes, good wind,
kind to mother - perfectly good girl in ev-
every r-respect," he concluded, emphasizing

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



his sentences by articulating them. He dropped
his chin into his chest with a recumbent bow,
and his arm described an impressive semicircle.
"Present to her 'surances my most disting'-
shed consider-ration - soon's you find her,"
and he went flop on his side and was asleep.
  Rex had to give it up. He heard the gates
rattling open for the next boat-load, and took
his stand again, bracing himself for another
rebuff. The usual vanguard, the usual quick-
silver bunch of humanity, massing, separating,
flowing this way and that, and in the midst of
them a fair-haired, timid-looking young girl,
walking quietly with down-cast eyes, as if un-
used to being in big New York alone at eight
o'clock at night. Rex stood in front of her with
bared head.
  "I beg your pardon," he repeated his for-
mula; " are you looking for Mr. Strong  "
  The startled eyes lifted to his a short second,
then dropped again. "No, for Mr. Week, " she
answered softly, and unconscious of witticism,
melted into the throng.



25

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



  This was a heavy boat-load, for it was just
theater time - they were still coming. And
suddenly his heart bounded and stopped. Of
course - he was utterly foolish not to have
known - it was she - Billy Strong's be-
witching cousin, the girl from Orange. There
she stood with her big, brown eyes searching,
gazing here and there, as lovely, as incongruous
as a wood-nymph strayed into a political meet-
ing. The feather of her hat tossed in the May
breeze; the fading light from the window be-
hind her shone through loose hair about her
face, turned it into a soft dark aureole; the
gray of her tailor gown was crisp and fresh as
spring-time. To Rex's eyes no picture had ever
been more satisfying.
  Suddenly she caught sight of him, and her
face lighted as if lamps had shone out of a twi-
light, and in a second he had her hand in his,
and was talking away, with responsibility and
worry, and that heavy weight on the truck
back there, quite gone out of the world. She
was in it, and himself - the world was full.



26


 



































" Could he - couldn't he  "

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        A GOOD     SAMARITAN            27
The girl seemed to be as oblivious of outside
facts as he, for it was quite two minutes, and
the last straggler from the boat had disappear-
ed into the street before she broke into one of
his sentences.
  " Why, but - I forgot. You made me forget
entirely, Mr. Fairfax. I'm going to the theater
with my cousin, Billy Strong. He ought to be
here -where is he"
  Rex shivered lest her roving eyes might
answer the question, for Billy's truck with
Billy slumbering peacefully on it, lay in full
view not fifty feet away. But her gaze passed
unsuspiciously over the prostrate, huddled
form.
  " It's very queer - I'm sure this was the
right boat." She looked up at his face anxious-
ly, and he almost moaned aloud. What was he
going to say to her
  "That's what I'm here for, Miss Margpry
- to explain about Billy. He - he isn't feeling
at all himself to-night, and it's utterly im-
possible for him to go with you." To his as-

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



tonishment her face broke into a very satisfied
smile. "Oh -well, I'm sorry Billy's ill, but
we'll hope for the best, and I won't really ob-
ject to you as a substitute, you know. Of course
it's improper, and mother wouldn't think of
letting me go with you - but I'm going. Moth-
er won't mind when I tell her it's done. I've
never been alone with a man to anything, ex-
cept with my cousin - it's like stealing water-
melons, isn't it Don't you think it's rather
fun"
  Staggered by the situation, Fairfax thought
desperately and murmured something which
sounded like "Oochee-Goochee," as he tried
to recall it later. The girl's gay voice went on:
" It would be wicked to waste the tickets. City
people aren't going to the theater as late as this,
so we won't see any one we know. I think it's a
dispensation of Providence, and I'd be a poor-
spirited mouse to waste the chance. I think I'll
go with you - don't you"
  Could he leave that prostrate form on the
truck and snatch at this bit of heaven dang-



928

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



ling before him Could he - Couldn't he
No, he could not. It would be a question of fif-
teen minutes perhaps before the drowsy Billy
would be marching to the police station, and
in his entirely casual and fearless state of mind,
the big athlete would make history for some
policeman, his friend could not doubt, before
he got there. Rex had put his hand to this in-
toxicated plow and he must not look back,
even when the prospect backwards was so be-
wilderingly attractive, so tantalizingly easy.
He stammered badly when, at length, the
silence which followed the soft voice had to be
filled.
  "I'm simply - simply - broken up, Miss
Margery," and the girl's eyes looked at him
with a sweet wideness that made it harder. "I
don't know how to tell you, and I don't know
how to resign myself to it either, but I - I can't
take you to the theater. I - I've got to - got
to -well, you see, I've got to be with Billy."
  She spoke quickly at that. "Mr. Fairfax, is
Billy really ill - is there something more than



29

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



I understand  Why didn't you tell me  Has
their been an accident, perhaps Why, I must
go to him too - come - hurry - I'll go with
you, of course."
  Rex stumbled again in his effort to quiet her
alarm, to prevent this scheme of seeking Billy
on his couch of pain. "Oh no, indeed you mustn't
do that," he objected strenuously. " I couldn't
let you, you know. I don't want you to be both-
ered. Billy isn't ill at all - there hasn't been
any accident, I give you my word. He's all
right - Billy's all right." He had quite lost his
prospective by now, and did not see the rocks
upon which he rushed.
  "If Billy's all right, why isn't he here" de-
manded Billy's cousin severely.
  Rex saw now. " He isn't exactly - that is to
say - all right, you know. You see how it is,"
and he gazed involuntarily at the sleeping giant
huddled on the truck.
  "I do not see." The brown eyes had never
looked at him so coldly before, and their ex-
pression cut him.



30

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



  "I'm glad you don't," he cried, and realized
that the words had taken him a step deeper in-
to trouble. "It's just this way, Miss Margery
- Billy isn't hurt or ill, but he isn't  isn't
feeling quite himself, and - and I've got to -
I've got to be with him." His voice sounded as
if he were going to cry, but it moved the girl to
no pity.
  "Oh!" she said, and her bewildered tone
was a whole world removed from the bright
comradeship with which she had met him. "I
see - you and Billy have something else plan-
ned." Her face flushed suddenly. " I'm sorry I
misunderstood about - about the theater. I
wouldn't for worlds have - have seemed to
force you to -" She stopped, embarrassed,
hurt, but yet with her graceful dignity un-
touched.
  " Oh," the wretched Rex exclaimed im-
petuously, " if I could only take you to the the-
ater, i'd rather than-" but the girl stopped
him.
   "Never mind about that, please," she said,



31

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



with gentle decision. " I must go home-
when is the next boat One is going now-
good-night, Mr. Fairfax - no, don't come with
me - I don't need you," and she was gone.
  Two minutes later Strong's innocent slum-
bers were dispersed by a vicious shake. " Wake
up! wake up!" ordered Fairfax, restraining
himself with difficulty from mangling the cause
of his sufferings. "I've had enough, and we're
going home, straight."
  Rex was mistaken about that, but Billy was
cordial in agreeing with him. " Good idea,
Recky! Howd'y' ever come to think of it Le's
go home straight; tha's a bully good thing to do.
Le's do it. Big head on you, ol' boy," and yawn-
ing still, but with unperturbed good nature,
Strong marched, a bit crookedly, arm in arm
with his friend to the street.
  Rex's memory of the trip uptown on the
Elevated was like an evil dream. Strong, after
his nap, was as a giant refreshed, and his play
of wit knew no contracting limits. There were,
luckily, not many passengers going up at this



32

 


A GOOD SAMARITAN



hour, but the dozen or so on the car were re-
galed. Billy selected a seat on the floor with
his broad back planted against the door, and
at every station the conductor and Rex had to
reason with him at length before the door could
be opened. The official threatened as well as he
could for laughing to put him off, but he threat-
ened less strenuously for the sight of six feet
two of muscle in magnificently fit condition.
This lasted for half a dozen stations and then
the patient began to play like a mountainous
kitten. He took a strap on either side of the car
and turned somersaults; he did traveling ring
work with them; he gave a standing broad
jump that would have been creditable on an
athletic field; he had his audience screaming
with laughter at an imitation of water polo over
the back of a seat. Then, just as the fun was at
an almost impossible point, and the conductor,
highly entertained but worried, was consider-
ing how to get this chap arre