Unexpected Night by Elizabeth Daly Read Free Book Online Page B

It was down on the bill, but they didn’t mention the destination, and like a fool I thought it was to New York. I might have noticed that the charge wasn’t enough for a New York call, but we were pretty well upset and worried by that time, and I paid up and thought no more about it. He had lots of friends, you know, and all that theatre business. He liked to feel that he was in the middle of things. He was always telephoning.”
    â€œWe’ll check up on that call from the Harbour Inn. But see here, Mr. Sanderson; if you’re right, he must have known about the telephone situation up at the Cove. Sam says he didn’t know how to get through, last night. Was that camouflage, too?”
    â€œI suppose it must have been. I’m just guessing, of course, but I can’t help thinking he’d have known when and how he could get in touch with Atwood. He was very accurate, you know; he always checked up on everything. He wouldn’t let any plan stand, without verification and goodness knows what all. Look here, I’m making him out a sneak.”
    â€œSneak? No, I don’t think so. We know the peculiar circumstances.”
    â€œAre you sure? He was anything but a sneak, Mitchell. And he had plenty of affection for his aunt and his sister, and a good deal for me. He simply realised what a hell of a fight I was going to put up at the last minute, and he didn’t want to go through with it. He hadn’t the physical strength to go through with it. You don’t know how I’d been working on him. Do you know what I told him? I told him he wouldn’t live a day up there. I think it was true. Just imagine,” exclaimed Sanderson, almost with passion, “just imagine him living like that, or trying to! Just try to imagine him pigging it up there at that God-forsaken place. They live in tents and trailers! You can imagine how long he’d last there. It would have been the death of him. It was the death of him—just trying to get there,” he repeated.
    â€œWell, I suppose he realised all that, didn’t he?”
    â€œYes, and he didn’t care. He was a fearless kid, you know, which made it all the harder for us to keep him in reasonable health. He wanted a whirl before he died, and I suppose he thought the only way to get it was to go off without bother and explanation.”
    â€œI suppose if he’d gone before he was of age, Mrs. Cowden would have had him brought back?”
    â€œHe thought so, but I’m not at all sure that she would have done anything. She would have been frightfully distressed, but she wouldn’t have done anything to upset him. You must remember that the one thing we all avoided was a row. His heart couldn’t stand them, or so the doctors said.”
    â€œExactly what was he going up there for, anyway?”
    â€œTo act. It isn’t as crazy as it sounds; he was quite good at it. And, of course, the Atwoods flattered him. Atwood and his wife are both in that outfit, you know—‘The Old Pier Players’!”
    â€œQuite a responsibility for them, taking him up there away from his folks.”
    â€œThey don’t know the meaning of the word. A more irresponsible creature than Atwood never lived. All they wanted, if you ask me, was to get hold of the boy’s money. The poor kid was going to be a backer, or a partner, or something.”
    â€œSounds like a kind of skin game, to me.”
    â€œIt was and it wasn’t. I believe the manager, Callaghan, is a decent enough sort of person, and he really has experience in the theatre. It was a legitimate enterprise. But naturally Callaghan wants all the money he can get; he’d be glad enough to take the boy in, sick or well.”
    â€œWhat sort of feller is this Atwood? He must be related to a whole lot of respectable people.”
    â€œHe is. His mother was Mrs. Barclay’s sister. She ran off and married some sort of actor, and the