children of the whirlwind-第62部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



〃Bunk！〃　snorted　Gavegan。

〃I　know　that　part　of　what　he　says　is　true；〃　put　in　Hunt。

Miss　Sherwood　ignored　Hunt　and　his　remark。　The　look　of　controlled　wrath　which　she　held　upon　Larry　did　not　change。　Larry　recognized　that　his　statement　had　sounded　most　implausible。　Miss　Sherwood　in　her　indignation　considered　only　that　her　kindness　had　been　betrayed；　her　hospitality　outraged；　and　that　those　she　had　accepted　as　friends　had　sought　to　trick　her　family　in　the　worst　way　she　could　conceive；　and　she　spoke　accordingly。

〃If　that　is　the　best　Mr。　Brainard　has　to　say　for　himself；　Mr。　Gavegan；　you　may　take　him　with　you；　and　without　any　interference　from　me。　I　ask　only　that　you　take　him　out　of　the　house　at　once。〃

With　that　she　moved　from　the　room；　not　looking　again　at　either　Hunt　or　Larry。　For　a　brief　space　there　was　silence；　while　Gavegan　let　his　triumph　feed　gloatingly　upon　the　sight　of　his　prisoner。

This　brief　silence　was　broken　by　a　low；　strange　sound；　like　a　human　cry　quickly　repressed；　that　seemed　to　come　from　just　outside　the　French　windows。

〃What　was　that？〃　Larry　asked　quickly。

〃I　didn't　hear　anything；〃　said　Gavegan　whose　senses　had　been　thoroughly　concentrated　upon　his　triumph。

〃I　did；〃　said　Hunt。　〃On　the　veranda。〃

〃We'll　see。　Watch　him〃　to　the　county　officer；　and　Gavegan　followed　Hunt　to　the　French　windows　and　looked　out。　〃No　one　on　the　veranda；　and　no　one　in　sight；〃　he　reported。　〃You　fellows　must　have　been　dreaming。〃

He　returned　and　faced　Larry。　〃I　guess　you'll　admit；　Brainard；　that　I've　got　you　for　keeps　this　time。〃

〃Then　suppose　we　be　starting　for　Headquarters。〃　Larry　responded。

Hunt　moved　to　Larry's　side。　〃I'll　just　trail　along　after　you；　Larry。　Anyhow；　this　doesn't　seem　to　be　any　place　for　me。〃

A　few　minutes　afterwards　Larry　was　in　a　car　beside　Gavegan；　speeding　away　from　Cedar　Crest　toward　the　city。　Larry's　thoughts　were　the　gloomiest　he　had　entertained　since　he　had　come　out　of　Sing　Sing　months　before　with　his　great　dream。　All　that　he　had　counted　on　had　gone　wrong。　He　was　in　the　hands　of　the　police；　and　he　knew　how　hard　the　police　would　be。　He　had　incurred　the　hostility　of　Miss　Sherwood　and　had　lost　what　had　seemed　a　substantial　opportunity　to　start　his　career　as　an　honest　man。　The　only　item　of　his　great　plan　in　which　he　did　not　seem　to　have　failed　completely　was　Maggie。　And　he　did　not　know　what　Maggie　was　going　to　do。




CHAPTER　XXXII


When　Maggie　drove　away　with　Dick　from　Cedar　Crestthis　was　an　hour　before　Gavegan　descended　out　of　the　blue　upon　Larry　and　two　hours　before　he　rode　triumphantly　away　with　his　captiveshe　was　the　most　dazed　and　disillusioned　young　creature　who　had　ever　set　out　confidently　to　conquer　the　world。　Courage；　confidence；　quickness　of　wit；　all　the　qualities　on　which　she　had　prided　herself；　were　now　entirely　gone；　and　she　was　just　a　white；　limp　figure　that　wanted　to　run　away：　a　weak　figure　in　which　swirled　thoughts　almost　too　spasmodically　powerful　for　so　weakened　a　vessel　not　to　be　shattered　under　their　wild　strain：　thoughts　of　her　amazingly　discovered　real　fatherof　how　she　was　the　very　contradiction　of　her　father's　dream　of　Larryof　the　cunning　Jimmie　Carlisle　whom　till　this　day　she　had　believed　her　fatherof　Barney　Palmer。

So　agitated　was　she　with　these　gyrating　thoughts　that　she　was　not　conscious　that　Dick　had　stopped　the　car　on　the　green　roadside　until　he　had　taken　her　hand　and　had　begun　to　speak。　The　happy；　garrulous；　unobservant　Dick　had　not　noticed　anything　out　of　the　way　with　her　more　than　a　pallor　which　she　had　explained　away　as　being　due　to　nothing　more　than　a　bit　of　temporary　dizziness。　And　so　for　the　second　time　Dick　now　poured　out　his　love　to　her　and　asked　her　to　marry　him。

〃Don't；　Dickplease！〃　she　interrupted　him。　〃I　can't　marry　you！　Never！〃

〃What！〃　cried　the　astounded　Dick。　〃Maggiewhy　not？〃

〃I　can't。　That's　final。　And　don't　make　me　talk　to　you　now；　Dick　please！　I　cannot！〃

His　face；　so　fresh　and　happy　the　moment　before；　became　gray　and　lined　with　pain。　But　he　silently　swung　the　car　back　into　the　road。

She　forgot　him　utterly　in　what　was　happening　within　her。　As　they　rode　on；　she　forced　herself　to　think　of　what　she　should　do。　She　saw　herself　as　the　victim　of　much；　and　as　guilty　of　much。　And　then　inspiration　came　upon　her；　or　perhaps　it　was　merely　a　high　frenzy　of　desperation；　and　she　saw　that　the　responsibility　for　the　whole　situation　was　upon　her　alone；　she　saw　it　as　her　duty；　the　role　assigned　her；　to　try　to　untangle　alone　this　tangled　situation；　to　try　to　measure　out　justice　to　every　one。

First　of　all；　as　she　had　told　Larry；　her　father's　dream　of　her　must　remain　unbroken。　Whatever　she　did；　she　must　do　nothing　that　might　possibly　be　a　sharp　blow　to　the　conception　of　his　daughter　which　were　the　roots　and　trunk　and　flowering　branches　of　his　present　happiness。　。　。　。　And　then　came　a　real　inspiration！　She　would；　in　time；　make　herself　into　the　girl　he　believed　hermake　his　dream　the　truth！　She　would　get　rid　of　Old　Jimmie　and　Barneywould　cut　loose　from　everything　pertaining　to　her　former　lifewould　disappear　and　live　for　a　year　or　two　in　the　kind　of　environment　in　which　he　believed　he　had　placed　her…　…and　would　reappear　and　claim　him　for　her　father！　And　for　his　own　sake；　he　should　never　know　the　truth。　Two　years　more　and　he　should　have　the　actuality；　where　he　now　had　only　the　dream！

But　before　she　was　free　to　enter　upon　this　plan；　before　she　could　vanish　out　of　the　knowledge　of　all　who　had　known　her；　there　was　a　great　duty　to　Larry　Brainard　which　she　must　discharge。　He　was　hunted　by　the　police；　he　was　hunted　by　his　former　pals。　And　he　was　in　his　predicament　fundamentally　because　of　her。　Therefore；　it　was　her　foremost　duty　to　clear　Larry　Brainard。

Yes；　she　would　do　that　first！　Somehow！　。　。　。

She　was　considering　this　problem　of　how　she　was　to　clear　Larry；　who　had　tried　to　awaken　her；　who　had　shielded　her；　who　loved　her；　when　Dick　slowed　his　car　down　in　front　of　the　Grantham　and　helped　her　out。　As　he　said　a　subdued　good…bye　and　was　stepping　back　into　his　car；　an　impulse　surged　up　into　heran　impulse　of　this　different　Maggie　whose　birth　was　being　attended　by　such　bewildering　emotions　and　decisions。

〃Dick；　won't　you　please　come　up　for　just　a　little　while？〃

Three　minutes　later　they　were　in　her　sitting…room。　Cap　in　hand　Dick　awaited　her　words　in　the　misery　of　silence。　Her　look　was　drawn；　but　direct。

〃Back　in　the　road；　Dick；　you　asked　me　why　I　couldn't　marry　you。　I　asked　you　up　here　to　tell　you。〃

〃Yes？〃　he　queried　dully。

〃One　reason　is　that；　though　I　like　you；　I　don't　like　you　that　way。　The　more　important　reason　to　you　is　that　I　am　a　fraud。〃

〃A　fraud！〃　he　exclaimed　incredulously。

It　had　come　to　her；　as　she　was　leaving　the　car；　that　the　place　to　start　her　new　life　was　to　start　right；　or　quit　right；　with　Dick。　〃A　fraud；〃　she　repeated〃an　impostor。　There　is　no　Maggie　Cameron。　I　am　born　of　no　good　family　from　the　West。　I　have　no　money。　I　have　always　lived　in　New　Yorkmost　of　the　time　down　on　the　East　Side。　I　used　to　work　in　a　Fifth　Avenue　millinery　shop。　Till　three　months　ago　I　sold　cigarettes　in　one　of　the　big　hotels。〃

〃What　of　that！〃　cried　Dick。

〃That　is　the　nicest　part　of　what　I　have　to　tell　you；〃　she　continued　rel