As she drove now from the station through the bustling, down-town
streets toward Midfields, the knowledge that her father's secret was
safe overshadowed all the pain through which she had passed. The
dreadful memory dulled in the sunshine and the sense of security buoyed
her. She would never have to tell her part in that terrible night to
any one. Not even to Harry: she could tell him that she had never
loved any one but him: that it had been misunderstanding that had
driven her to send him that unhappy note. Her father himself need
never be made aware that she knew his secret. It would be forever dead
and buried!
She bade 'Lige stop at the post-office. At her aunt's she had wrapped
the letters in thick wrapping-paper and sealed and tied the packet, and
this she now addressed to her father, printing the words in a large,
round hand. Then she bought some stamps, affixed them at one of the
desks that lined the corridor and smudged them with ink to simulate a
postmark. Once at home it would be easy to slip the parcel among his
evening mail. He would believe that Craig had relented of his purpose,
would destroy the letters, and the danger would be gone forever!
Lastly, standing in the thronging thoroughfare, at the same dusty
little desk, on a sheet of paper which she bought at the stamp-window,
she wrote to Harry Sevier:
Forget the note I sent you yesterday. Count that it was never written,
that everything--everything!--is as it was when we sat on the porch
together the day before. I can't write the rest--but come to me
to-night, and I will tell you.
ECHO.
She sealed and addressed this--as an afterthought, marking it
_urgent_--and went out to the carriage. A few minutes later the horses
drew up again, this time before the populous office-building that held
Harry's offices.
She climbed the stair slowly, her heart hammering. She intended to
hand the note to his clerk. If Harry had gone home, it would be sent
to him there. On the landing she stopped, her breath coming quickly.
The mahogany door was open and she could see a little way into the
outer office. If she came face to face with him, what should she say?
But no sound of voices, no rustle of paper or scratch of pen, came to
her. She went nearer--the place was empty. She took a hesitant step
or two into the room. The door of the inner office was open--that was
empty too, and its big desk closed. Harry was not there, but the
clerk, at least, should not be far off, as the door had stood wide.
She went closer and peered into the inner office. Facing her from the
wall was a small cabinet, its door, from which splinters of opaque
glass were scattered about the rugs, smashed through as if by a heavy
blow. Beneath it, on the desk-top, was a black bottle and a stained
glass, tipped on its side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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