Dawn Eleanor Porter (free novels to read txt) 📖

Daniel Burton, most emphatically, was "doing his part."

CHAPTER XIV

A SURPRISE ALL AROUND

The week before Christmas Dorothy Parkman brought a tall, dignified-looking man to the Burtons' shabby, but still beautiful, colonialdoorway.

Dorothy had not seen Keith, except on the street, since her visit withMazie in October. Two or three times the girls had gone to the housewith flowers or fruit, but Keith had stubbornly refused to see them,in spite of Susan's urgings. To-day Dorothy, with this evidently inmind, refused Susan's somewhat dubious invitation to come in.

"Oh, no, thank you, I'll not come in," she smiled. "I only broughtfather, that's all. And—oh, I do hope he can do something," shefaltered unsteadily. And Susan saw that her eyes were glistening withtears as she turned away.

In the hall Susan caught the doctor's arm nervously.

"Dr. Parkman, there's somethin'—"

"My name is Stewart," interrupted the doctor.

"What's that? What's that?" cried Susan, unconsciously tightening herclasp on his arm. "Ain't you Dorothy Parkman's father?"

"I'm her stepfather. She was nine when I married Mrs. Parkman, hermother."

"Then your name ain't Parkman, at all! Oh, glory be!" ejaculated Susanecstatically. "Well, if that ain't the luckiest thing ever!"

"Lucky?" frowned the doctor, looking thoroughly mystified, and notaltogether pleased.

Susan gave an embarrassed laugh.

"There, now, if that ain't jest like me, to fly off on a tandem likethat, without a word of exploitation. It's jest that I'm so glad Iwon't have to ask you to come under a resumed name."

"Under a what, madam?" The doctor was looking positively angry now.Moreover, with no uncertain determination, he was trying to drawhimself away from Susan's detaining fingers.

"Oh, please, doctor, please, don't be mad!" Susan had both hands holdof his arm now. "'Twas for Keith, an' I knew you'd be willin' to doanything for him, when you understood, jest as I am. You see, I didn'twant him to know you was Dorothy's father," she plunged onbreathlessly, "an' so I was goin' to ask you to let me call yousomethin' else—not Parkman. An' then, when I found that you didn'thave to have a resumed name, that you was already somebody else—thatis, that you was really you, only Keith wouldn't know you was you, Iwas so glad."

"Oh, I see." The doctor was still frowning, though his lips weretwitching a little. "But—er—do you mind telling me why I can't be I?What's the matter with Dorothy's father?"

"Nothin' sir. It's jest a notion. Keith won't see Dorothy, nor Mazie,nor none of 'em. He thinks they come jest to spy out how he looks an'acts; an' he got it into his head that if you was Dorothy's father, hewouldn't see you. He hates to be pitied an' stared at."

"Oh, I see." A sympathetic understanding came into the doctor's eyes.The anger was all gone now. "Very well. As it happens I'm really Dr.Stewart. So you may call me that with all honesty, and we'll be verycareful not to let the boy know I ever heard of Dorothy Parkman. Howabout the boy's father? Does he—know?"

"Yes, sir. I told him who you was, an' that you was comin'; an' I toldhim we wasn't goin' to let Keith know. An' he said 'twas absurd, an'we couldn't help lettin' him know. But I told him I knew better an''twas all right."

"Oh, you did!" The doctor was regarding Susan with a new interest inhis eyes.

"Yes, an' 'tis, you see."

"Where is Mr. Burton?"

"In his studio—shut up. He'll see you afterwards. I told him he'd GOTto do that."

"Eh? What?" The doctor's eyes flew wide open.

"See you afterwards. I told him he'd ought to be in the room with you,when you was examplin' Keith's eyes. But I knew he wouldn't do that.He never will do such-like things—makes him feel too bad. An' hewanted ME to find out what you said. But I told him HE'D got to dothat. But, oh, doctor, I do hope—oh, please, please say somethin'good if you can. An' now I'll take you in. It's right this way throughthe sittin'-room."

"By Jove, what a beauty!" Halfway across the living-room the doctorhad come to a pause before the mahogany highboy.

"THAT?"

"Yes, 'that'!" The whimsical smile in the doctor's eyes showed that hewas not unappreciative of the scorn in Susan's voice. "By George, itIS a beauty! I've got one myself, but it doesn't compare with that,for a minute. H-m! And that's not the only treasure you have here, Isee," he finished, his admiring gaze roving about the room. "We've gotsome newer, better stuff in the parlor. These are awful old things inhere," apologized Susan.

"Yes, I see they are—old things." The whimsical smile had come backto the doctor's eyes as he followed Susan through the doorway.

"Keith's upstairs in his room, an' I'm takin' you up the back way so'sMr. Burton won't hear. He asked me to. He didn't want to know jestexactly when you was here."

"Mr. Burton must be a brave man," commented the doctor dryly.

"He ain't—not when it comes to seein' disagreeable things, or folkshurt," answered the literal Susan cheerfully. "But he'll see you allright, when it's over." Her lips came together with a sudden grimness.

The next moment, throwing open Keith's door, her whole expressionchanged. She had eyes and thoughts but for the blind boy over by thewindow.

The doctor, too, obviously, by the keen, professional alertness thattransfigured his face at that moment, had eyes and thoughts but forthat same blind boy over by the window.

"Well, Keith, here's Dr. Stewart to see you boy."

"Dr.—Stewart?" Keith was on his feet, startled, uncertain.

"Yes, Dr. Stewart.'" Susan repeated the name with clear emphasis. "Hewas in town an' jest came up to look at you. He's a big, kind doctor,dear, an' you'll like him, I know." At the door Susan turned to thedoctor. "An' when—when you're done, sir, if you'll jest come downthem stairs to the kitchen, please—TO THE KITCHEN," she repeated,hurrying out before Keith could remonstrate.

Down in the kitchen Susan took a pan of potatoes to peel—and when,long hours later, after the doctor had come downstairs, had talkedwith Mr. Burton, and had gone, Susan went to get those potatoes toboil for dinner, she found that