“I’d rather do part of the trip with you, anyway, if I can, sir. And I should think that if I kept quiet to-morrow I’d ought to be able to meet you the next day.”
“Suit yourself. We’ll be glad to see you when you come. Meanwhile, if I were you I’d accept Mr. York’s offer. He’s got his car here and I guess we can fix you so it won’t hurt much.”
“He’s very kind,” faltered Sam, not over-enthusiastically. Mr. York laughed.
“Don’t come if you’d rather not, Craig,” he said. “I only thought it would be easier for you and a pleasure for me. If you’d rather stay here, don’t hesitate. I’ll run up to-morrow and see how you are.”
“It would be an awful bother for you, sir,” said Sam.
“Not a bit of bother, old man! I’d be plaguey glad to have you. We could talk baseball to our heart’s content. And there are one or two things I’d like to tell you about.” Mr. Langham chuckled softly and Mr. York turned to him with a laugh. “Not that at all, Mr. Langham! Still, for that matter, you’ve given me the right of way.”
“Oh, yes,” replied the Chief, “there are no strings. But just remember what I predicted.”
“I dare say you were right. And, anyway, I promise to play fair.”
Sam looked puzzledly from one to the other. There was something here that he didn’t understand.
“Well, what do you say, Craig?” asked Mr. York. “Going to come along and be company for me for a day or two?”
“Thank you, yes, sir, if you’re quite sure----”
“Absolutely certain, old man! Now, where’s your bag? And how about dressing? Not necessary, is it, Mr. Langham? A couple of blankets wrapped around him will do the trick, eh? All right! I’ll bring the car up to the steps.”
Sam opened his eyes sleepily and blinked about him. Near at hand a wide-open window, hung with blue-and-white chintz that swayed gently in the entering breeze, admitted a flood of sunlight. Beyond the window was a white bureau. The paper on the walls was grey with a tiny stripe made up of blue rosebuds. Sam closed his eyes again and wondered where he was. Then, stirring under the bedclothes, he experienced a dull, jarring ache in one knee, and suddenly recollection came to him and he opened his eyes more widely and stared around him.
Last night the room had been shadowed and dim, with only a little lamp on the white reading-stand beside the bed, and he had gone to sleep almost as soon as Mr. York and Steve had helped him between the cool, soft sheets. Now, in the early morning light, the room looked much larger, and so bright and cheerful that it was a pleasure to just lie there and look about.