Christian fiction; Domestic fiction; Families -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
“I don’t understand it,” faltered Cornelia, looking up at Maxwell
helplessly. “She—this! It is signed ‘Grace,’ and looks as if Grace
Kendall wrote it. I am sure Carey thought so when he went. But—Grace
Kendall was at home only a few minutes ago. She called me up to ask
me to bring some music she had left here when I come to church. How
could she have got out there so soon?”
Maxwell took the note, and read it with a glance, then turned the
paper over, and felt its thickness.
“Curious they should have such stationery at Lamb’s Tavern. Who
brought it?”
“A boy. I’m not sure. He looked as if I had seen him before. He might
have, been—” she hesitated, and the color stole into her cheeks. The
trouble was deep in her eyes. “He might have been a boy who came here
on an errand once; I wasn’t certain. I only saw him from the window.”
“You knew him?”
“Why—I had just a suspicion that he might have been that Dodd girl’s
brother.” She lifted pained eyes to meet his.
“I see,” he said, his tone kindling with sympathy. “Has she
any—ah—_further_ reason for revenge than what I know?”
“Yes,” owned Cornelia. “She sent word to Carey to call her up, and
he didn’t do it. She had invited him to go on an automobile ride. He
didn’t go, and we were all away when they must have stopped for him.”
“I see. Will you call up Miss Kendall on some pretext or other, and
find out if she is at her home? Quickly, please.” His tone was grave
and kindly, but wholly businesslike and Cornelia, feeling that she
had found a strong helper, sped into the house on her trembling feet,
giving thanks that the telephone had just been put in last week.
Maxwell stood beside her as she called the number, silently waiting.
“Hello. Is that you, Grace? Was it ‘Oh, eyes that are weary’ that you
wanted me to bring? Thank you, yes; I thought so, but I wanted to
make sure; good-bye.”
Maxwell had not waited to hear more than that Miss Kendall was at
home. He strode out to his car; and, when Cornelia reached the door,
he had his hand on the starter.
“Oh, you mustn’t go alone!” she called. “Let me go with you.”
“Not this time,” he answered grimly. “You go on to church if I’m not
back.” He had not waited to finish; the car was moving; but a sturdy
flying figure shot out of the door behind Cornelia, over the hedge,
and caught on behind. Harry, with little to go by, had sensed what
was in the air, and meant to be in at the finish. No, of course not;
his adored Maxwell should not go alone to any place where Cornelia
said “No” in that tone. He would go along.
Louise, white-faced and quiet, with little hands clasped at her
throat, stood just behind her sister, watching the car shoot up the
hill and out of sight.
“Sister, you think—it’s _that girl_ again—don’t you?” she asked
softly, looking with awe at the white-faced girl.
“I’m afraid, Louie; I don’t know!” said Cornelia, turning with a
deep, anxious sigh and dropping into a chair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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