WALTER was trembling with sympathy and the sudden shock from the
unexpected revelation of Bauer's physical condition. He was so
overwhelmed with this that the loss of the money seemed comparatively
trivial.
"Why did you not tell me the condition you were in? I ought to have
known about it. It does not seem possible."
"It's not as serious as it seems. You remember Gardner, class of 1909? He's out in New Mexico with a U. S. surveying party and he's all right. A year or two out there will put me right."
Walter looked at him doubtfully.
"What a chump I must have been all this winter not to see. I wouldn't
have believed it if I read it in a book."
Bauer smiled again.
"You couldn't do anything if you had known. Nobody could. The change of
climate will fix me all right. Lucky that money is coming in just now. Lots of fellows don't have my good luck."
"Good luck?"
"Yes. I might be sick here without a cent, and be dependent like
Franklin out at the day camp. I felt awfully sorry for him at the time, didn't you?"
"Yes, tell me! but no! it hurts you to talk?"
Bauer nodded. "I don't have any pain to-day. Just weakness. It's only
one lung, the doc says. It might be my knee joints or my mucous or a
dozen other places worse than lungs. If you're going to have
tuberculosis have it when it will raise the most sympathy. If I only had
a heart-rending cough to go with the hemorrhages I could get some church
or tuberculosis society to send me out to Arizona free of charge."
Walter was so upset by the whole thing and so disturbed by the
inevitable revelation that was bound to come that he sat miserably
silent, while Bauer rambled on in a disconnected manner to all outward
appearances quite unterrified by his trouble, or at any rate making a
brave and successful attempt at deceiving his friend. But at last he
unexpectedly gave Walter an opportunity to lead up to the article in the
paper.
"Seems a little queer I don't hear from him. I understood Halstead and
Burns were going to pay at once. Would you mind going down after the
three o'clock mail? I feel a little uneasy about it. Never had so much
money before. Probably never will again."
"Did you have any reason to distrust your father?" asked Walter.
"No, I told you his faults were of another sort."
"What would you do if he should try to cheat you out of the money?"
"How could he do that?"
"Didn't you give him power of attorney to act for you?"
"Yes."
"Well, what would hinder his having the check from Halstead drawn in his
name instead of yours?"
"Nothing, only------"
"Only what?"
"Why, just sheer humanity."
Bauer was sitting up on the couch, his hands doubled up and his eyes
fixed on Walter.
"What is it?" he said at last quietly enough. "Are you keeping something
from me? I would rather have it from you than from anyone else."
"Poor old man!" Walter could not hold back a groan as his eye travelled
to the paper on the floor.
Bauer saw his glance. "What is it? Read it for me."
Walter put his hands over his face and muttered.
"Oh, I can't, Felix, it's too cruel."
"Nothing's too cruel if you're used to it." He started to get up from
the couch, but Walter prevented him.
"Lie down there. I'll read it to you if I must, simply because someone
will have to do it sometime. But I would rather be hanged than do it."
He hardly ventured to look at Bauer when he had finished the newspaper
account. When he did look at him, he saw him sitting up on the couch, his hands clasped over his knees, a slight increase of colour on his face but no mark of any unusual anger or feeling.
"How could he do it! How could he!" Bauer whispered to himself, looking
off into the distance as if Walter were not present. His whole attitude
affected Walter more deeply than if he had given way to a violent
passion.
"It's an outrage! There ought to be some way to get the money. You could
have him arrested when he------"
"Arrest my father? On the charge of being a thief? Would you do that to
your------"
Walter choked. "Arrest my father? I should think not. But------"
"He may be all you think, but I will never lift a finger against him. Let God punish him, as he has already."
"And meanwhile, if Halstead & Co. are informed how matters are, they
might------"