CHAPTER XXII

“Love, hope, fear, faith—­these make humanity!”

The trip to New York was always marked in later years, to Joan, by the most trivial occurrences.

The passing to and fro to the baggage car where Cuff, a crumpled and quivering mass, seemed to ask her what it all meant; the sense of eagerness to get to The Gap before it was too late; the determination not to frighten any one she meant to telegraph from New York; she would leave her trunks in the station and take a bag to a little hotel where she and Pat had stayed the night before they fled from New York.  So far, all was clear.

So she planned; forgot, and planned again.  Between these wanderings and the care of Cuff there were long hours of forgetfulness and a sound of rushing water—­or was it the train plunging through the dark?

Once in New York, with Cuff trotting behind, Joan seemed to gather strength—­but not clear vision.  She went to the small hotel and secured a room.  She meant to telegraph and buy her ticket South—­but instead she fed Cuff, took a little food herself, and fell asleep.  It was late when she awakened to a realization of acute suffering that seemed confused and spasmodic.  It was like being partially conscious.  She was frightened and tried to fix upon some direct and immediate means of securing help for herself.  She did not want to call assistance from the office, so she got up and dressed and half staggered downstairs.  It needed all her effort to hold to one thought long enough to accomplish anything.

First there was Cuff.  She must get Cuff, quiet his nervousness, and feed him.  Then with that in mind she took food herself—­as much as she could swallow.  It was while she was forcing herself to this task that Doctor Martin came, like an actual presence, to her consciousness.

Why had she not thought of him before?

“Uncle Davey!” she murmured and her eyes filled with tears.  Of course!  She would take a cab to Doctor Martin’s office and then everything would be solved.  He would take care of her; send word to The Gap; protect Aunt Doris and Nancy from shock.  She began to laugh quietly, tremblingly—­she was safe at last.  Safe!

It was after ten o’clock when she paid her taxi driver in front of Martin’s office and dismissed him.  Gathering Cuff in one aching arm and clutching her bag she slowly, painfully mounted the steps without noticing the sign bearing a new name.

If anything were needed to prove how detached Joan had been for the past year or two it was this ignorance concerning the arrangement between Martin and his nephew.  Had she not been on the border of delirium she would have recalled certain things which would have guided her; as it was she felt, dazedly, for the bell, pressed the button, and to the maid who responded she faintly said: 

“I—­I want the doctor.”  She looked, indeed, as if this were shockingly true.