Colonel Hathaway was stretched out on the rug in front of the fire with Mary Louise doing what she could to restore consciousness to the tired brain, when Dr. Coles arrived.
The old man was carried to his room and placed in his large old tester bed.
“I rather thought this might happen but did not think it would be so soon,” the doctor told Mary Louise. “Was there anything to excite him especially?” he asked.
Mary Louise told him of the wireless message she had just received from her husband and of the statement her grandfather had made that it was a message from the spirit world.
“Of course, it was proof that my husband was well and thinking of me. That was all--but Grandpa Jim takes such strange notions lately and there is no turning him from them. He said he had dreamed he saw Danny in the water but that is no indication of an accident.”
“Certainly not!” assured Dr. Coles. “When did your husband sail?”
Dr. Coles said nothing but in his kind eyes there was a depth of concern for the girl. He looked at her a moment and then turned to the inert form of the old man.
“His pulse is fairly good and I fancy he will be coming around pretty soon,” he said briskly. “I am going to send you a nurse immediately.”
“Oh, don’t send a nurse! Please let me attend to him. I am as strong as can be. You don’t know how much I can do.”
“Ah, yes, I do, but we don’t want to have you doing all you can do. I really think a nurse for a few days will be best.”
“And Irene Macfarlane is here to help me. You don’t know what a help Irene is although she can’t get out of her chair. She answers the telephone and she does more little odd jobs and Grandpa Jim has always liked her more than anybody--until--until--but perhaps she had better not try to help in his room because he has had a strange obsession of late about Irene and dear Uncle Peter Conant.”
“Yes, Dr. Coles! Uncle Peter Conant and Irene are both in the dining room waiting to see what I need.”
“Well, Mrs. Dexter, I’ll get you to sit here a moment by your grandfather while I go telephone. He is coming around soon I think, but there is nothing for you to do except sit near him. Call me if you need me.”
Irene and her uncle were seated in the dining room in hushed silence. They had come immediately at Mary Louise’s summons. Mr. Conant was bowed over, his gray head in his hands. Occasionally, he emitted a deep groan and muttered to himself: