The Last Woman

by Ross Beeckman

  CHAPTER XIII

  SALLY GARDNER'S PLAN

  What might have happened between those two fiery natures at thatcrisis will never be known, because at the moment when Duncan threwthe door ajar, and uttered his dismissal, Jack Gardner appearedsuddenly upon the scene, having just stepped from the elevator. If heheard that expression of dismissal, he showed no evidence of it, or hedid not comprehend its significance; and, if he saw in the attitude ofthe two men anything out of the ordinary, he gave no sign that he didso. But Jack Gardner, too, was from Montana; and he had learned, longago, how to conduct himself in emergencies. It was a fortunateinterruption, all around. Duncan, although apparently calm, was in awhite rage. He would not have hesitated to meet Morton more thanhalf-way, in any manner by which the latter might choose to show hisresentment for the twisted arm. As it was, Gardner was the savior ofthe situation.

  "Hello, Duncan! How are you?" he exclaimed, in his usual manner."Why, Dick! I didn't expect to find you here; didn't know that you andDun were acquainted." He shook hands with both the men, one after theother, in his accustomed hearty and irresistible manner, grinning atthem and utterly refusing to see that there was restraint in themanner of either.

  "It is my first acquaintance with Mr. Morton," replied Duncan easily,and touched a lighted match to the cigar he had previously taken fromhis case. He was, outwardly, entirely at ease. "He did me the honor tocall upon me, and we have been chatting together for more than half anhour. Will you sit down, Jack? Mr. Morton, be seated again, won'tyou?"

  The ranchman looked upon his late antagonist with utter amazement. Itwas an exhibition of a kind of self-control that was strange to him.It angered him, too, because of his own inability to assume it. He wassuddenly ashamed. Patricia's reference to his "training," recurred tohim. He understood, now, exactly what she had meant--it had not beenplain to him before. Here before him was "the man of the East," atwhom he had so often scoffed, for the word "Tenderfoot" had, untilnow, been synonymous with contempt. But Morton felt himself to be thetenderfoot, in the present case. He replied, stiffly, to theinvitation to be seated.

  "Thank you," he said. "I find that I am neglecting an engagement." Itwas the only excuse he could think of.

  "Wait just a minute, Dick, and I'll go along with you," said Gardner."I only stepped in a moment to give Duncan a message from my wife. Shesays, Roderick, that she would like to have you drop around at thehouse, for a moment, if you can make it. She is not going out. Now,Dick, if you are ready, I'm with you. So long, Duncan; I'll see youlater, at the club."

  * * * * *

  Just previous to Jack Gardner's interruption of the almost tragicscene at Duncan's rooms, he had been having what he called "aheart-to-heart" talk with his wife, and the message he now deliveredto his friend from Sally was, in part, the outcome of that interview.

  Sally Gardner had been greatly troubled since the occurrences ofSaturday night. Being herself intensely practical, she had soughtdeeply, through her reasoning powers, to find a means whereby shemight be instrumental in helping out of their difficulties herseveral friends whom she so dearly loved. She believed that she hadsucceeded in hitting upon a scheme which would, at least, bring thingsto a focus. She was sure that, if she could bring all the partiestogether under one roof, matters would straighten themselves withoutmuch outside assistance. Jack and Sally owned a beautiful countryplace, within easy motoring distance of the city, and the youngmatron, having decided upon what course she would adopt, had lost notime in summoning her husband to her, taking him into her confidence,and convincing him of the wisdom of her project.

  "Jack," she told him, when he was seated opposite her, "I don'tsuppose you realize into what a terrible mess and muddle you gotthings last Saturday night, by reason of your fondness for a joke?"

  "Oh, confound it, Sally, drop it!" he exclaimed, smiling, but annoyednevertheless.

  "No," she said, "we can't drop it, Jack. You're responsible for thewhole affair. I have seen the necessity of finding a way out of it,for all of us--although my heart bleeds for poor Beatrice."

  Jack shrugged his shoulders, and lighted a cigar. Then, he thrust hisfeet far out in front of him, and studied the toes of his tan shoesintently.

  "What's the matter with Beatrice?" he asked, presently.

  "She is in love with Roderick Duncan," replied his wife, with anemphatic nod of her blond head.

  "Eh? What's that? In love with Rod? Nonsense!"

  "She is, Jack; I know she is."

  "Gee, little girl, but it surely is a mix up! What are you going to doabout it? Why in blazes didn't she marry him, then, when she had thechance?"

  "I've thought of a way Jack, if you will agree to it, and help meout--a way by which things can be smoothed over. Will you help me?"

  "Yes, I will. What is it?"

  "Could you tear yourself away from the city for two or three days,beginning to-morrow morning?" she asked him.

  "I guess so, Sally."

  "Are you willing to go out to Cedarcrest for a few days, and entertaina select party, there?"

  "Suit me to death, girl. Glad you thought of it. Whom will you ask?And what is the game?"

  "I have made out a list," replied Sally, meditatively. "I shall readit off to you, if you will listen."

  "Go ahead."

  "It includes Beatrice and Patricia, of course; Dick Morton and--"

  "Wait a moment, Sally. I've got a sort of a notion in my head thatneither Beatrice nor Patricia, will care to go to Cedarcrest on suchan expedition as that, under the present circumstances."

  "My dear John"--she sometimes called him John when she wasparticularly in earnest, and when she attempted to be especiallydignified--"you may leave all the details of this arrangement to me. Imerely wished your consent to the plan."

  "Oh, well, if you can manage it, Sally, you've got my consent, allright. What do you want me to do about it? You didn't have to consultme, you know."

  "I want you, first, to listen to the list I have made out, and, afterthat, to carry out my directions in regard to it."

  "Good girl; I can do that, too."

  "Patricia and Beatrice, Roderick Duncan and the Houston girls, RichardMorton, Nesbit Farnham; and, to supply the other two men who will benecessary to make up the party, you yourself may make the selection. Ionly wish them to be the right sort."

  "What's the scheme, Sally?"

  "I want to get these warring elements together, under one roof."

  "Whew! You've got more pluck than I thought you had, Sally."

  "Listen, Jack: When you go out this evening, find Roderick, and sendhim here, to me. I have written him not to come here, but that won'tmake any difference. He'll come if you give him my message. Afterward,you may look up Dick Morton, and the other two men you are to ask, andgive them the invitation."

  "For when?"

  "For to-morrow. Tell them all to be at Cedarcrest before dark,to-morrow. That is all. As I said before, I'll attend to the details."

  Jack Gardner left his chair, and, having kissed his wife, was on thepoint of departure when he paused a moment on the threshold, and,looking back over his shoulder, said, laughingly:

  "Sally, I always gave you credit for having more sand than any threeordinary women I've ever known, but, I'll give you my word, I neversupposed you had grit enough to undertake any such thing as this one.Talk about me getting things into a mess! Great Scott! if you don'tget into one, out at Cedarcrest, with that sort of a mix-up to takecare of, I'm a sheep-herder. Maybe you haven't got on to the fact, mygirl, but, as sure as you're the best little woman in all New York,Dick Morton is so dead stuck on Patricia Langdon that he can't forgetit for a minute. If you bring all that bunch together, you'll have RodDuncan and Dick at each other's throat, before you get through withit. And besides--"

  Sally sprang to her feet, clapped her hands and laughed, to herhusband's utter amazement.

  "Splendid!" she exclaimed. "No, I did not know that; but it simplifiesmatters,
wonderfully, Jack."

  "Oh, does it?"

  "Assuredly."

  "Huh! I'm glad you think so. It looks to me as if it were just theother way around. Take my word for it, my girl, there'll be a 'will'in that drive of yours--maybe a tragedy, as well. Duncan is quitecapable of committing one, in his present mood; and DickMorton?--Well, you'll see."

  "I'm awfully glad you told me. It's perfectly splendid," said Sally,unmindful of, or indifferent to, the warning. "It's perfectlysplendid!"

  "Oh, it is, eh? Well, I'm glad you think so. To me, it looks a gooddeal like a mix-up, Sally. Rod is in love with Patricia; Beatrice isin love with him; Nesbit Farnham is so dead stuck on Beatrice that hedoesn't know where he's at, more than half the time; and Patricia--Oh,well, I give it up. I'll do what you told me to, and leave the rest toyou;" and Gardner laughed his way through the hall and out upon thestreet; and he continued chuckling to himself, all the way to hisclub. But Sally ran after him before he got quite away from her, andcalled to him from the bottom of the steps.

  "One thing more, Jack," she said.

  "Well, my dear; what is it?"

  "We will take Beatrice with us, in our car, and you may include one ofthe gentlemen I have given you permission to ask. When you ask DickMorton, tell him that he is to bring Patricia and the two Houstongirls. That's all."

  "How about the others, how are they going to get there?"

  "The others may walk, for all I care," said Sally, and she returned tothe library.