England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, English
I think she began to feel ashamed of herself; and in two minutes I got
the letter from her. It was written by the same hand as the letter of
the day before, and was, like it, unsigned. It merely said that the
writer, in proof of her good faith, enclosed a photograph which Master
Jim--that gay Lothario!--had given her. We were still looking at the
letter, when the Colonel came in. I explained the matter to him, and I
will answer for it, before he understood it, Kitty was more ashamed of
herself than ever.
"This photograph and the one at Gold's are facsimiles," said he
thoughtfully. "That is certain. And both come from Frome. Doesn't it
seem probable that the gentleman who obtained Jim's photograph for his
own purpose last year--to send to Gold--printed off more than one
copy? And having this one by him, and wishing to cause mischief
between Kitty and Jim, thought of this and used it? The sender is,
therefore, some one who passed his examination last year and is still
at Frome."
Jim shook his head.
"If he passed, sir, he would not be at Bulcher's now," he said.
"On second thoughts he may not be," the Colonel replied. "He may have
sent the two letters to Frome to a confidential friend with orders to
post them. Wait--wait a minute," my old chum added, looking at me with
a new light in his eyes. "Where have I seen a letter addressed to
Frome--within the last day or two? Eh? Wait a bit."
We did wait; and presently the Colonel announced his discovery in a
grim voice.
"I have it," he said. "It is that scoundrel, Farquhar!"
"Farquhar!" I said. "What do you mean, Colonel?"
"Just that, Major, just that. Do you remember him knocking against you
in the hall at the club the day before yesterday? He dropped a letter,
and I picked it up. It was addressed--I could not help seeing so
much--to Frome."
"Well," Jim said slowly, "he was at Bulcher's, and he passed last
year."
"And the letter," continued the Colonel in his turn, "was in a large
envelope--an envelope large enough to contain a cabinet photograph."
There was silence in the room. Kitty's face was hidden. Jim moved at
last--towards her? No, towards the door. He had his hand on it when
the Colonel observed him.
"Stop!" he said sharply. "Come back, my boy. None of that. The Major
and I will deal with him."
Jim lingered with his hand on the door.
"Well, sir," he said, "I will only----"
"Come back!" roared the Colonel, but with a smile in his eyes as he
looked at his boy. "You will stop here, you lucky dog, you. And I hope
this will be a lesson to you not to give your photograph to young
ladies at Frome!"
If Kitty squirmed a little at that, she deserved it. I said before
that a woman's faith is a wonderful thing. But when there is another
woman in the case--umph!
* * * * *
"Mr. Farquhar, sir? Yes, sir, he is in the house," the club porter
said, turning in his glass case to consult his book. "I believe he
went upstairs to the drawing-room, sir."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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