The Old Blood Part 42

The Longfield Sanfords were at last trying to utter their thanks. As for the Truckleford Sanfords, they still expected to see Peter toss a rope skyward and climb up it out of sight.

"Bless you for a pair of the best old dears that ever lived!" said Peter. "If it hadn't been for your father, Doctor, I might be holding Bill Hurley's job driving the local 'bus. Now, what you want to do is to get to Phil, don't you?"

"Yes! Oh, above everything!" exclaimed Mrs. Sanford.

"I gadded all over London trying," said the Doctor, who narrated his experiences.

"That baby boy at the Emba.s.sy, with his little accent and his little moustache turned up, and afraid he might slip on his little shadow, that's Levering's son," said Peter. "Levering started driving a donkey in a mine and left about two hundred thousand dollars and got heart disease making it, while his wife was in Paris. She couldn't stay at home in c.o.keville because she had no social standing there. He used to see her once a year, if he could spare two weeks to cross the pond.

But I'm wasting a lot of words on him, though it's time somebody gave him a twist. Now, I'll go back to London to-night."

"But you must stay to dinner!" begged the vicar.

"Sorry. But we want to see Phil. Is there a telegraph office here?

Good! Might as well start things moving. I'll get dinner at one of those little inns. First-rate meat and potatoes; that's all a man wants--only the English never season anything. Put a pile of salt on the side of their plate and dab every mouthful in it, which means irregular distribution and a waste of time."

He was shaking hands all around preparatory to going, when he had a reminder.

"I want to see that ancestor of ours," he said. "Mine by adoption!

You don't mind? I see your family isn't large and there ought to be enough of him to go round."

"We welcome you!" said the vicar, chuckling. This interest in genealogy convinced him that both Peter and the three millions must be real.

Peter looked the ancestor over with the eye of one who knows men.

"I'm proud of him!" he concluded, with a wink to the vicar. "You can see that he had his teeth set firmly in their sockets. Most ancestors have, and those of later generations get wiggly. Well, I'm off!"

When Peter had gone four white heads gazed at one another and swallowed and gazed. Three million dollars! Peter confessed it! And all for Phil!

"Hm-m--let the cat out of the bag!" he mused on his way to London.

"Couldn't help it! Enjoyed it! What the professors call the psychological moment! Enjoyed keeping it secret before--enjoyed letting it go. Phil will keep that farm running after I'm gone--if it doesn't break me before I pa.s.s over the border."

Now Peter did not go to the War Office and beat a table and argue; but he set things in motion by sending cablegrams and telegrams. He did not even send up his card to the Amba.s.sador until the Amba.s.sador had received messages from four United States senators, from the man to whom he owed his appointment, and from the Secretary of State, that Peter Smithers was in London. n.o.body was out at luncheon when he went to the Emba.s.sy, where he was at once given a note to some one on high who would immediately communicate to some one at the War Office. But before leaving he reminded the Amba.s.sador that one of the Emba.s.sy ch.o.r.e-boys, ought to be taught civility as well as manners.

Nor did Peter go to the War Office until the General who was above the General who was above the General that Phil had first seen also had heard from several quarters about the importance of Peter Smithers.

The Great One at the War Office was most cordial, and Peter talked to him as if he were used to meeting Great Ones. Both were leaders and organisers of men.

"I think there will be no difficulty," said the Great One. "We'll make a special case of it on account of his having to remain a long time at a base hospital in France. I'd heard about that young man before.

Fine chap! Hope he'll pull through. A relative of yours?"

"Nephew!" Peter replied truthfully.

Hadn't he formally adopted himself as Phil's uncle?

CHAPTER x.x.xI

A THOUGHT FOR HELEN

"Bricktop!"

"Peter!"

They took a grappling hold of each other, as if about to engage in a wrestling match to prove which was the more jubilant over this meeting; for Peter was a man after Bricktop's own heart and Bricktop after Peter's.

"You're red-headed as ever!" said Peter.

"What did you expect? That I'd dip my locks in a dye-barrel? Needed all the red I had and some more to deal with some of the stick-in-the-muds, who would not believe that I am a surgeon. Say, but you're good for sore eyes and nostalgia!"

"Think of you being over here and operating on Phil!" Peter held William Smith, D.D.S., off at arm's length in respectful admiration.

"If you hadn't sent me that twenty thousand I wouldn't have had the equipment for the job," Bricktop replied.

"You don't mean that that twenty thousand--maybe it's saved Phil!"

"Exactly what I do mean!"

"Think of that!" Peter swallowed hard and blinked. "But don't you tell him about it--not yet. Here I am talking, when there is somebody outside that----" He did not finish his sentence, but drew Bricktop out of his office into the reception-room, where Dr. and Mrs. Sanford were waiting.

"I don't need any introduction. You're his father and mother!"

Bricktop exclaimed.

"Yes, we are here, thanks to Peter," said Mrs. Sanford. "He has a wonderful way of managing things."

"Peter was born to manage things!" said Bricktop. "He gave me my start."

"Just as Dr. Sanford's father gave me mine. And we are here because Phil's is a special case which cannot be moved over to England. Merely had to make the authorities see the light. But it seems to me, Bricktop, you and I are doing a lot of ga.s.sing, when what we want is to see Phil. How is he getting on?"

Peter had hesitated to put that question, thinking of what this day meant to the Sanfords. Bricktop looked into the honest, serene eyes of the old pair and seeing that they were not afraid of it, told the truth.

"In two or three days I'll come to the big test," he said. "If that operation succeeds, the rest will be easy."

Then a soft voice, which had the very melody of cheer, added:

"And it will succeed!"

Helen, coming into the room, had overheard Bricktop's opinion, and impulsively reinforced it with her faith. Dr. and Mrs. Sanford for the first time looked into the eyes of the woman who had written to them for Phil and about Phil. Their transparent depths reflected the quality which they had a.s.sociated with her. Something told her that she was not plain to them, and the thought gave her a thrill of happiness.

"What beautiful eyes!" exclaimed Mrs. Sanford involuntarily. "They are like your spirit!"

"I----" Helen flushed. No one had ever said this to her except the old artist teacher. That any one should think that anything about her was beautiful!

"I'm afraid I was personal!" murmured Mrs. Sanford; and both were embarra.s.sed.

"It was a very nice way to be personal," Helen stammered, finding her smile. "How happy he will be to see you! How he loves you!"

"And his sight and hearing and speech?" asked Mrs. Sanford.