The Last of Philip Banter
Page 21
‘But Philip, though frightened, was not demoralized. He would not agree to enter the asylum – and leave Dorothy to you! – even with my pressure. He ran away to Jeremy’s and questioned each of you in turn – if you could have known the conflict in his mind then, you would realize what an heroic act that was. Dorothy saw, and Dorothy respected him for it. When he left the apartment, she went after him…’
‘They were coming together again,’ sighed Steven Foster. ‘I had failed and… instead of driving them apart… I had driven them together. I hailed a taxi and reached the station before Dorothy did – she lied to the Lieutenant to protect me. I went down the stairs just behind Philip. There was no one on the platform except Philip and a blind man.’
Matthews took it up. ‘Philip’s back was turned to you. You came close to him and said, “Philip, you’re cra-zee! Oh, Philip!” He must have thought he was hearing the voice again. He turned about, saw you –’
‘And I pushed him into the path of the train,’ said Steven Foster. His face had grown very pale and his nose had begun to bleed. Matthews stared, fascinated, at his face for an instant; then he sprang to help him. He had recognized the signs of cerebral accident.
Old Foster held up his hand and shook his head. His knees sagged – his mouth gasped. Rigid, even in death, he fell forward on his face.
Dr Matthews knelt beside the body and noted the absence of a pulse. Dorothy, behind him, began to weep. But there was nothing he could do about that…
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