Canadian fiction -- 20th century; Detective and mystery stories
Inexpensive! Pen stared at him. The thing had obviously cost
thousands. But she saw that he was sincere in it.
"It attracted me," he went on. "It's so hard to find anything that
looks as if any thought or care had gone into it. That's why I got it."
"You had no right to suppose that I would accept it," said Pen sorely.
"I didn't suppose it. I just took a chance."
Pen was reminded that she _must_ keep on terms with him. "I'm sorry,"
she said more mildly. "I couldn't possibly."
"Is it because you detest me so?" he asked with ugly, curling lip.
Pen was startled. Her anger had betrayed her. She put her wits to
work to repair the damage. "Not at all!" she said coolly. "It's
because you're so rich. It sickens me the way people fawn on you, all
expecting something. That's why I can't take it."
"You could take it ... without being like other people," he said.
A struggle was going on inside Pen. Not that she wanted the glittering
bracelet. It was horrible to her. But her cooler self was saying:
"You ought to take it to put his mind at ease. You can return it
later. It is merely silly to be high-minded in dealing with a man like
this!" But at the suggestion of taking it her fingers automatically
closed until the nails were digging into her palms. It was useless to
think of it. She knew that her fingers would break sooner than open to
receive the little box.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Please put it away."
He snapped the box shut and dropped it in his pocket again. For a good
while he looked out of the window without saying anything. Pen could
not read his thoughts. She said to herself: "Oh well, it's got to be
understood that he can't give me things!"
They dined in Annapolis. Evidently it had been ordered ahead by
telephone. They were received by an expectant waiter, there were roses
on the table, and the best that the little town afforded was ready and
hot. Pen being a woman, could not but be pleased by such attentions,
though a mocking little voice inside her whispered: "This is how silly
women are snared!" She enjoyed the food thoroughly, and was charming
to Riever, all the while a little dialogue went on within. One voice
was saying accusingly: "Sitting here smiling and encouraging your
lover's deadly enemy!" the other replying: "How else can I save my
lover?"
It was eight o'clock and beginning to grow dark when they came out of
the hotel. Pen shivered with repulsion at the thought of being cooped
up with Riever for the sixty-mile drive through the night. She said
offhand:
"Do you ever drive?"
"Oh yes," he said unsuspectingly.
"Let's put the chauffeur inside and ride out in the air. The moon will
be up directly."
Riever scowled, and a hateful answer leaped to his lips. But he bit it
back. "All right," he mumbled.
And so they rode.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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