He looked at her and said, "O, Laura!" reproachfully, but
distressed.
"I thought you weren't going to do this any more, Laura," he said
gently, after they had walked a little way.
"How did you know I was here?" she asked listlessly.
"They sent me word you had left home. I traced you."
"I don't see why you should trace me," she said, but not as if it
mattered.
"O, Laura!" he said again. "Well, I must say I don't think Mrs. Edmunds
was much of a friend!"
It was Mrs. Edmunds who had told Laura that there was this glimpse of
her husband in "The Cross of Diamonds." She had hesitated about telling
her, but had finally said it was so characteristic and beautiful a
moment she felt Laura should see it.
From the first Tom had opposed her seeing it, saying it would be nothing
but torture to her. Torture it was, but it was as if that torture were
all there was left of life.
Tonight everything was as a world of shadows. She knew that her brother
was taking her to his home instead of back to her own. He had wanted to
do this before, but she had refused. There was nothing in her now that
could refuse. She went with him as if she were merely moving in a
picture and had no power of her own to get out of it.
And that was the way it was through the next few weeks.
Pages:
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324