The Triumph of Virginia Dale Part 39

"If that is true why don't they take the matter up with my father? Why should you come to him?" asked Virginia, suspiciously.

"Because," Mrs. Duncan continued, "your father is rich and powerful, and even if the Board of Health orders him to stop running waste into the river he may take the matter into court and fight it for years. That is what we are worrying about now. Must Amity go on drinking poisoned water while your father and the Board of Health fight in the court? Our purpose is to attempt to persuade him not to contest the decision of the Board."

"If my father is certain that the waste from his mill is making people sick, he surely will stop running it into the river."

"It is the only decent thing for him to do," agreed Mrs. Duncan, greatly mollified by the att.i.tude of the girl. "Perhaps the Board of Health has not notified him of its final decision," she conceded. "Of course our Club is greatly interested and we have kept in close touch with the case. Our representatives have called frequently at the office of the Board." She laughed. "We even had a committee which used to go with Mr. Joe Curtis, the Board's representative, every time he took samples of water at Amity."

"Who took the samples?" asked Virginia, instantly alert.

"A young man by the name of Curtis. He used to come out on a motorcycle.

He worked for the Board of Health."

"I'll take the matter up with my father, tonight," Virginia promised the women when they left. "You can be sure that he will do the right thing about it."

Her old confidence in her father surged up in the presence of the callers; but after they had gone the remembrance of the morning's episode, with her new realization of her father, persisted in returning.

She caught herself wondering if it were possible that he, knowing that the waste from his mill was polluting the water and causing sickness, had done nothing about it. Loyally she fought back the thought. He wouldn't do that--a wicked thing. He didn't know the truth--if the water _was_ bad. That was the point. Before she talked to him she ought to be certain about it. Joe Curtis knew and could tell her the truth.

Her father, hearing it from her, would be glad to do the right thing.

Yet, regardless of her hopeful reasoning, the memories of the morning--of her father's temper torn face in all of its selfish cruelty of expression--came back to her and filled her with strange indefinite forebodings of evil.

So, it was a different Virginia who came to Joe Curtis that afternoon.

It was one in whose face there were vague shadows of anxiety and sadness which, regardless of pathetic efforts at disguise, spoke of an unquiet heart.

He sensed the change in her as she greeted him. But his cheery salutation and his boyish bursts of humor could not arouse the care free girl whom he had known.

She came quickly to the matter which was uppermost in her mind.

"Joe, you work for the State Board of Health, don't you?"

His face sobered at her question, as if he recognized the approach of complications. He nodded affirmatively.

"You took samples of the river water to find out if it were made unfit for people to drink by the waste from my father's mill, didn't you?"

He delayed his response so long that she was forced to repeat her question before she could get even a nod of admission.

"Joe, does my father's mill spoil the water?"

His head moved uneasily upon his pillow; but he was silent.

"Please answer me," she urged. "It is very important."

He turned upon her almost shortly. "How can I tell? I never a.n.a.lyzed the water. I couldn't do it if I wanted to. You know that I am working my way through college. I have only had one year of chemistry. On the rolls of the Board of Health, I am carried as a laborer. I get samples and certify to the time and place I took them. The laboratory a.n.a.lyzes them."

"You were around the laboratory. You brought in the samples. Naturally you must have had some interest in the matter--in your work. Won't you tell me what you know?"

"Why ask me?" he complained sharply. "I shouldn't discuss this matter with you, Virginia. Talk to your father. He knows all about the case.

Let him tell you."

"My father knows!" she exclaimed. She leaned over the bed and gazed down at him. Though she had guessed his answer, she must have it in words. "Joe," she whispered, "you promised to be my friend. I must know the truth. I can trust you. Please tell me about the water."

There was a pathetic pleading in her eyes which tore at his heart.

He tried to resist the spell she cast about him but his face softened beneath her gaze. "I'm sorry, little girl," he whispered, and then blurted suddenly, "Everybody connected with the Board of Health knows that the waste makes the water fierce. It's not fit for a dog to drink."

That afternoon Obadiah arrived home early. Perhaps he meant to patch up a peace with his daughter. He asked for her as soon as he entered the house and seemed disappointed when he learned that she had gone out.

Virginia came back from the hospital soon after the arrival of her father. Serena met her when she arrived, after having viewed her employer with great hostility through an opening in the portieres. The old negress' eyes were keen enough to read the shadow of apprehension lurking in the depths of the blue eyes. To the faithful servitor it indicated the approach of sorrow or tragedy to this peaceful domestic haven. She sought to intervene against fate. "Ain' you bettah res'

youse'f befo' dinner, honey chil'? You' Daddy, he's a readin' his papah an' ain' want to be 'sturbed," she urged.

There was determination in the girl's face. She pushed aside the black hand which in kindness would have detained her. "No, Serena, I must see him at once," she said, and pa.s.sed on into the living room.

"h.e.l.lo, Virginia. Where have you been hiding yourself?" was her father's friendly greeting, but he gave her a sharp glance.

She sat down as she told him. "I have been to the hospital, Daddy."

Obadiah's face hardened and he scanned the page before him.

She watched his movements with unconcealed anxiety. She was very pale and it was only with an effort that she could calm herself to say, "A committee of ladies from Amity came to see you this afternoon."

"What did any committee of women want with me? Money?" he suggested, with a suspicious eye upon his daughter.

"No, they came, they said, because the waste from the mill is spoiling the river water and causing sickness in their town."

"Why didn't they come to my office about that?"

"They did, but you were not in."

He s.h.i.+fted uneasily in his chair. "Did you talk to them about it?"

"Yes. They explained the matter to me. They said that the Board of Health has found that the water is unfit to drink. They wanted to persuade you not to go into court about the decision. A law suit might last for years."

He laughed harshly. "They are waking up, are they? They thought that they could scare me with the Board of Health. Did you say anything to them?"

"Yes, Daddy, I told them that if you were a.s.sured that the waste from your mill was making people sick you would stop running it into the river."

There was a crackling sound as he crushed the paper in his hands.

"You see, Daddy," she went on, "I was careful to make the point that you could not be expected to do anything unless you were sure that it was the waste from your mills which was responsible."

Obadiah leaped to his feet. A smile of relief swept over his face. "You caught the point exactly, dear. How do I know that my mill is responsible for the trouble?"

She did not respond to his change of mood but continued, "The ladies a.s.sured me that the Board of Health, after a careful investigation, has decided that it is."

"Is that so?" he sneered.

She looked up at the change in his tone. His manner seemed to make her more resolute as she spoke again. "The matter was so important that I wanted to be sure that you knew the truth about it." Her voice was trembling now. "I went to the hospital and asked Mr. Curtis. It was he who took the samples of water for the Board of Health, and I knew that he would tell me the truth."

"What?" demanded Obadiah, his voice pitched high.