Other Things Being Equal, Page 3

  Chapter III

  The Levices' house stood well back upon its grounds, almost with an airof reserve in comparison with the rows of stately, bay-windowed housesthat faced it and hedged it in on both sides. But the broad, sweepinglawns, the confusion of exquisite roses and heliotropes, the open pathto the veranda, whereon stood an hospitable garden settee and chair, thelong French windows open this summer's morning to sun and air, told aninviting tale.

  As Dr. Kemp ascended the few steps leading to the front door, he lookedaround approvingly.

  "Not a bad berth for the grave little bookworm," he mused as he rang thebell.

  It was immediately answered by the "grave little bookworm" in person.

  "I've been on the lookout for you for the past hour," he explained,leading him into the library and turning the key of the door as theyentered.

  It was a cosey room, not small or low, as the word would suggest, butlarge and airy; the cosiness was supplied by comfortable easy-chairs,a lounge or two, a woman's low rocker, an open piano, a few softengravings on the walls, and books in cases, books on tables, books onstands, books everywhere. Two long lace-draped windows let in a floodof searching sunlight that brought to light not an atom of dust in theremotest corner. It is the prerogative of every respectable Jewess tokeep her house as clean as if at any moment a search-warrant for dirtmight be served upon her.

  "Will you not be seated?" asked Levice, looking up at Kemp as the latterstood drawing off his gloves.

  "Is your wife coming down here?"

  "No; she is in her room yet."

  "Then let us go up immediately. I am not at leisure."

  "I know. Still I wish to ask you to treat whatever ailments you may findas lightly as possible in her presence; she has never known anxietyor worry of any kind. It will be necessary to tell only me, and everyprecaution will be taken."

  Here was a second one of this family of three wishing to take the bruntof the trouble on his shoulders, and the third had been bearing itsecretly for some time. Probably a very united family, loving andunselfish doubtless, but the doctor had to stifle an amused smile in theface of the old gentleman's dignified appeal.

  "Still she is not a child, I suppose; she knows of the nature of myvisit?" He moved toward the door.

  "Ruth--my daughter, you know--was about to tell her as I left the room."

  "Then we will go up directly."

  Levice preceded him up the broad staircase. As they reached the landing,he turned to the doctor.

  "Pardon my care, but I must make sure that Ruth has told her. Juststep into the sitting-room a second," and the precautious husband wentforward to his wife's bedroom, leaving the door open.

  Standing there in the hallway, Kemp could plainly hear the followingwords:--

  "And being interested in nervous diseases," the peculiarly low voice wassaying, "he told Father he would call and see you,--out of professionalcuriosity, you know; besides we should not like you to be often taken asyou were last night, should we?"

  "People with plenty of time on their hands," soliloquized the doctor,looking at his watch in the hallway.

  "What is his name, did you say?"

  "Dr. Herbert Kemp."

  "What! Don't you know that Dr. Kemp is one of the first physicians inthe city? Every one knows he has no time for curiosity. Nervous diseasesare his specialty; and do you think he would come without--"

  "Being asked?" interrupted a pleasant voice; the doctor had rememberedthe flight of time, and walked in unannounced.

  "Keep your seat," he continued, as Mrs. Levice started up, the excitedblood springing to her cheeks.

  "You hardly need an introduction, Esther," said Levice. "You rememberDr. Kemp from last night?"

  "Yes. Don't go, Ruth, please; Jules, hadn't you something to dodownstairs?"

  Did she imagine for a moment that she could still conceal her troublefrom his tender watchfulness? Great dark rings encircled her nowfeverishly bright eyes; her mouth trembled visibly; and as Ruth drewaside, her mother's shaking fingers held tight to her hand.

  "I have nothing in the world to do," replied Levice, heartily; "I amgoing to sit right here and get interested."

  "You will have to submit to a friendly cross-examination, Mrs. Levice,"said the physician.

  He drew a chair up before her and took both her hands in his. AsRuth relinquished her hold, she encountered a pair of pleasantlyauthoritative gray eyes, and instantly divining their expression, leftthe room.

  She descended a few steps to the windowed landing. Here she intendedjoining the doctor on his way down. Probably her father would followhim; but it was her intention to intercept any such plan. A fog hadarisen, and the struggling rosy beams of the sun glimmered opalescentlythrough the density. Ruth thought it would be clear by noon, when sheand her mother could go for a stirring tramp. She stood lost in thoughttill a firm footfall on the stairs aroused her.

  "I see Miss Levice here; don't come down," Kemp was saying. "What furtherdirections I have must be given to a woman."

  "Stay with Mamma, Father," called Ruth, looking up at her hesitatingfather; "I shall see the doctor out;" and she quickly ran down the fewremaining steps to Kemp, awaiting her at the foot. She opened thedoor of the library, and closing it quickly behind them, turned to himexpectantly.

  "Nothing to be alarmed at," he said, answering her mute inquiry. Heseated himself at the table, and drew from his vest-pocket pencil andblank. Without another glance at the girl, he wrote rapidly for someminutes; then quickly moving back his chair, he arose and handed her thetwo slips of paper.

  "The first is a tonic which you will have made up," he explained,picking up his gloves and hat and moving toward the door; "the other isa diet which you are to observe. As I told her just now, she must remainin bed and see no one but her immediate family; you must see that shehears and reads nothing exciting. That is all, I think."

  Indignation and alarm held riot in Ruth's face and arrested the doctor'sdeparture.

  "Dr. Kemp," she said, "you force me to remind you of a promise you mademe last night. Will you at least tell me what ails my mother that youuse such strenuous measures?"

  A flash of recollection came to the doctor's eyes.

  "Why, this is an unpardonable breach upon my part, Miss Levice; but Iwill tell you all the trouble. Your mother is suffering with a certainform of hysteria to a degree that would have prostrated her had we notcome forward in time. As it is, by prostrating her ourselves for awhile,say a month or so, she will regain her equilibrium. You have heard ofthe food and rest cure?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, that is what she will undergo mildly. Has she any duties thatwill suffer by her neglect or that will intrude upon her equanimity?"

  "No necessary ones but those of the house. Under no circumstances can Iconceive of her giving up their supervision."

  "Yet she must do so under the present state of affairs. Remember, hermind must be kept unoccupied, but time must be made to pass pleasantlyfor her. This is not an easy task, Miss Levice; but, according to mypromise, I have left you to undertake it."

  "Thank you," she responded quietly.

  Kemp looked at her with a sense of calm satisfaction.

  "Good-morning," he said, holding out his hand with a smile.

  As the door closed behind him, Ruth felt as if a burden had fallen from,instead of upon her. For the last twenty-four hours her apprehensionshad been excessive. Now, though she knew positively that her mother'scondition needed instant and constant care, which she must herselfassume, all sense of responsibility fell from her. The few quiet wordsof this strange physician had made her trust his strength as she woulda rock. She could not have explained why it was so; but as her fatherremarked once, she might have said, "I trust him implicitly, because,though a man of superiority, he implicitly trusts himself."

  As she re-entered her mother's room, her father regarded her intently.

  "So we are going to make a baby of you, Mamma," she cried playfully,coming forward and
folding her arms around her mother, who lay on thelounge.

  "So he says; and what he says one cannot resist." There was an apatheticring to her mother's voice that surprised her. Quickly the thoughtflashed through her that she was too weary to resist now that she wasfound out.

  "Then we won't try to," Ruth decided, seating herself on the edge ofthe lounge close to her mother. From his armchair, Mr. Levice noted withremorseful pride the almost matronly poise and expression of his lovelyyoung daughter as she bent over her weary-looking mother and smoothedher hair.

  "And if you are to be baby," she continued, smiling down, "I shallhave to change places with you, and become mother. You will see what acapital one I shall make. Let's see, what are the duties? First, babymust be kept clean and sweet,--I am an artist at that; secondly, Fatherand the rest of us must have a perfectly appointed menage; third--"

  "I do not doubt that you will make a perfect mother, my child;" thegentle meaning of her father's words and glance caused Ruth to flushwith pleasure. When Levice said, "My child," the words were a caress."Just believe in her, Esther; one of her earliest lessons was 'Whateveryou do, do thoroughly.' She had to learn it through experience. But asyou trust me, trust my pupil."

  The soft smile that played upon her husband's face was reflected on Mrs.Levice's.

  "Oh, Ruth," she murmured tremulously, "it will be so hard for you."

  This was a virtual laying down of arms, and Ruth was satisfied.