The Quicksands of Pactolus, Book II, Part X-XI [pp. 411-418]

THE QUICKSANDS OF PACTOLUS.
"Bad -bad! I have learned only
lately that his father before him was a
drunkard. It's in the blood. I ought to
have known of it; my negligence in the
matter was most culpable; but, Doctor,
can nothing be done? There is the Gold
Cure."
"I'm hardly on speaking terms with
Mr. Desmond," returned Fortescue. "He
resented my action in keeping him away
from his wife. In fact he is positively
rude to me."
"Ah! And this good-looking nurse,
Stella Johnson, with whom Helen seems
to be infatuated. Did you recommend
her? And if so, what do you know about
her? " What is her record?
"I did not recommend Miss Johnson,
and I know nothing of her record. As a
physician it is enough for me to be satisfied that she is an accomplished nurse
and an unusually clever woman."
"Unscrupulous?"
"I have no reason to think so. Reticent, perhaps."
"Would she be capable, in your opinion, of - er - making mischief between
man and wife. My son-in-law hinted at
something of the kind. For God's sake,
Fortescue, if you can help me at this
pinch, do so."
"My dear sir, I know nothing of Miss
Johnson. Probably she has had some
trouble. She is certainly proud. Personally I am under obligations to her.
She helped me in my laboratory. For a
woman with her limited education she
made the most astonishing progress in
analytical chemistry."
"I don't like that," growled Mr. Barrington. "She has infected Helen with
some of her ideas. They spend hours
together, fussing with a microscope. Well,
Doctor, you are a busy man, so I won't
detain you any longer. I wish you could
have told me something about this nurse."
"She lived in or near Los Angeles,"
said Fortescue, as he shook hands. " That
is the extent of my knowledge."
But Mr. Barrington was not satisfied
with this meager information. He disliked anything which smacked -as he
expressed it of mystery. Putting two
and two together, he had decided, in his
impetuous fashion, that Stella Johnson
was responsible for these scandalous re,vels. No man, he reflected, takes suddenly to indecent dissipation without
cogent reasons. Hector, doubtless, had
always liked a cocktail too well, but he
had respected the conventionalities even
in his cups, and never took his horses
out on Sunday. That he should now
proclaim himself publicly to be a sot argued a mystery, and that mystery the
banker determined to plumb to its depths.
Accordingly, he sent for a private detective of proved discretion, and instructed
him to hunt up the nurse's record, and
report at length, and as soon as possible.
The man went South that very evening
with a pass in his pocket-book and a
handsome check- on account.
Acting upon Fortescue's advice, Mr.
Barrington cautiously confided to his wife
a small percentage of his cares and worries.
"1 I'm carrying a big load, Alice. I
once hoped that Henry and Dick would
bear their portion of it, but that hope has
exploded."
"You always liked to stand alone."
"True, but I'm getting along in years,
Alice, and somehow my capacity for work
seems impaired. I need help. In fact,"
he added, watching the effect of his words,
"I need you."
"Me?" she repeated, with a faint
flush. "Why, Rufus, you are joking."
"Not at all. I propose to take you to
New York. More, I propose to talk over
with you my affairs. Confound it, as I
told Fortescue, a man must talk with
some one."
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