Then, with a replica of that smile, sweet as a woman’s, with which he
had two hours before passed over his vault key to Rollie, he now placed
in his hands an envelope like that which had contained the Wadham
currency, only thicker. The young man seized it gratefully, but with
fingers trembling so he could hardly get behind the flap of the
envelope.
"It is there," said the minister, a little gurgle of emotion in his own
throat.
"It is here," mumbled Rollie woodenly, a surge of relief and gratitude
rising so high in his breast that it felt like a tense hard pain, and
for a moment stifled the power of speech so that for want of words he
reached out and touched the hand of the minister caressingly with his
clammy fingers.
Hampstead, happier, if possible, than Rollie, understood his emotion.
"It’s all right," he whispered. "Courage, boy, courage!" At the same
time he laid a hand upon the young man’s arm, with a pressure almost of
affection. With the word and touch came clarity both of thought and
feeling.
"Will you excuse me three or four minutes, Brother Hampstead?" Rollie
inquired, the sudden leap of joy in his heart that the embezzlement was
now to be legitimately wiped out so great that he could not this time
stop to send the money across by a messenger.
The minister smiled understandingly, and Rollie stepped out of the
little gate and across to the teller’s window.
When he returned, old J.M. himself had come out of his office and was
chatting with the minister. There was nothing unusual about this, since
wherever Hampstead went persons of every sort were anxious to get a word
with him. Presently Parma too joined the group at Rollie’s desk. Of
course the topic of conversation was Miss Dounay and her diamonds, for
both the president and the cashier had learned that the minister and
their own social ambassador were present at the supper, which every hour
became more famous. In the midst of this conversation, a telephone call
for Mr. Manton was switched to Rollie’s desk.
"Yes," said the president, talking into the ’phone. "We will send a man
over to represent us. Are you ready now?"
The bank president hung up the telephone and turned to Rollie. "Step
right over to the Central Trust, Burbeck, and see us through on those
transfers, will you? They are waiting now."
There was nothing for Rollie to do but to go immediately, much as he
desired to whisper one more word of gratitude to the minister, and to
receive the additional installment of moral strength which he felt sure
would follow from a few quiet minutes with this man on whom his soul had
begun to lean so heavily.
"Certainly, Mr. Manton," he answered, and then as he reached for his
hat, he turned to the minister, saying: "Shall I find you here when I
return?"
"That depends on how long before you return," laughed the minister, but
the blandness of his expression indicated that he was in no hurry, and
Rollie went out expecting to see him again in a few minutes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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