Love stories; Poor -- Fiction; Violinists -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
"Come upstairs with me," he ordered the woman staring at him with
frozen features.
Molly followed him as in a dream, preceding him when he stepped aside
to allow her to enter the little sitting-room, where of late she had
passed so many pleasant hours. Then as he closed the door, he whirled
upon her.
"Now I want the meaning of those letters. Have you seen Miss
Grandoken?"
"Yes!" She could say no more.
"When?"
"Yesterday."
"There's something I don't know. Ah! That's why you kept the papers
from me." Quickly he turned to the bell.
"Theodore!" gasped Molly. "Wait! Wait! Don't--don't ring! I'll tell
you; I will!"
He pressed the bell button savagely.
"I wouldn't believe you under oath," he muttered.
"I want all this week's papers, and I want 'em quick!" he snapped at
the servant. "Every one! Last night's too!"
He walked to the window, but turned again as a knock came upon the
door.
"I can't find the papers, sir," excused the maid.
"Wait!" Theodore closed the door, exclaiming in white heat, "Molly,
where are those papers?"
"In my room," replied Molly sulkily.
Mr. King gave the order, and again they were behind closed doors.
Molly made a sorry picture of shame when Theodore looked at her.
"I'll get to the bottom of this if it kills me," he said wearily.
"Theo, Theo, don't read the papers!" she gasped. Then she fell forward
at his feet. "I love you, dear; I love you."
"You've lost your mind, Molly," he said harshly. "You're mad,
completely mad."
"No, I'm not. Listen, Theodore, I'm here at your feet, miserable,
unhappy; I want to be forgiven----"
"Then tell me what you did to Jinnie Grandoken."
"I can't! I can't!"
When another knock sounded on the door, Theodore opened it and took
the papers through the smallest imaginable crack. Molly crawled to a
chair and leaned her head upon the seat. Without a word, Theodore sat
down and began to turn the pages of the papers nervously. As he read
both accounts of Lafe's trial, bitter ejaculations fell from his lips.
The story of Bobbie's dramatic death and Morse's suicide brought forth
a groan. When he placed the papers slowly beside him on the floor,
Molly raised her face, white and torn with grief.
"Now you know it all, forgive me!"
"Never, while I live!" he cried. "What ungodly wretchedness you've
made that child suffer! And you were married all the time to Morse,
and the mother of that poor little boy!"
"Yes," sobbed Molly.
Then a sudden thought took possession of him.
"You and Morse made Jinnie write me that first letter."
Molly nodded.
"May God forgive you both!" he stammered, and whirled out of the
room.
An hour later, with new strength and purpose, Theodore threw a few
clothes into a suitcase, ordered the fastest motor in the garage, and
was standing on the porch when Molly came swiftly to him.
"Theodore," she said, with twitching face, "if you go away now, you
won't find me here when you get back."
He glanced her over with curling lip.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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