Honoria,
coated and hatted as if to go out, came back to sit near the
balustrade, looking down upon the kindling lobby activities. Shortly
after her coming the senator rose to go. Instantly his wife sprang up to
walk with him to the head of the great stair.
"The time has come?" she asked quickly.
"I reckon it has, little woman."
"I wish I might be there to see," she said softly. And then, whipping a
packet of papers from under her street-coat: "Take these. When you see
what they are, you'll know why I haven't given them to you before this.
As long as you didn't know anything about it, you could tell Evan the
simple truth--that you didn't have them."
The Honorable David pocketed the papers without looking at them.
"I suspected you--or, rather, young Collins--quite a little spell ago,"
he said with imperturbable good nature. "I couldn't have done it myself;
I reckon no right-minded man could have done it, but--"
"--But women have no conscience," she finished for him. "_I_ hadn't in
this instance. There was too much at stake with a firebrand like Evan to
deal with. Don't be too good-natured, David--to-night, I mean. You know
that is your failing when you have a man down. But to-night you must
make the man pay the price. That's all, I think. I'm going back to Evan
now to see if I can't make him talk to me.
Pages:
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376