Show I 1 if R II 11 11 if 8 L L E by HER AMES WILLIAMS C ben ames william CHAPTER XIV continued 30 phil smiled happily and then he turned to mary s letter and sobered again and for a moment he held it in his hands remembering their last word from mary with bitterness he was tempted to destroy this let ter unopened but at last like one performing an unpleasant duty he tore off the end of the envelope and drew out the letter inside and began to read and at the first words his eyes widened and his breath came hiss angly and he sat up sharply in his berth the letter was from pans paris mary had written dear phil gus loran killed miss wines he has told me so try to tell you just what happened I 1 think I 1 told you he was here his wife was getting a divorce we m met et by accident but he seemed cascina fascinated ted by me my argentine and I 1 t get ting along very well he a gone back to south america now I 1 began to real ize that mr loran had something on his mind he was drinking a lot and look ing sick and then he began to give me presents pretty valuable ones and I 1 asked him why and he was drunk most ot of the time ot of course he began to talk 0 0 4 its been fun perfect I 1 t have wanted it any other way about some great wrong be he had done me and about making amends this went on for weeks and he a been sort ol 01 cracking up all the time I 1 asked him questions qu but he d shut up like a clam but when my husband left me he got maudlin and wept about w what hat was happening to me and blamed him self and finally night before last he begged me to forgive him and I 1 asked for what and I 1 finally got it out of him he had miss wines in maine to in august the guide lied tor for him and he says she tried to blackmail him and his wife was already threatening to divorce him and collect big alimony and he was scared then miss wines sent word to him to meet her in the office that night at half past eleven he was going to new york anyway and he decided to try to scare her so she would let mm him alone he had a pistol he had carried in the war and he took it to scare her with he says he took out the magazine thought it was empty he got on the new york train and put on h s pyjamas pajamas over his clothes and called the porter and told him he was going to sleep and then slipped off through another car and went out a different gate and went to the office and she was there she d stolen father a key he says he offered her the money there was in the aban safe afe and she said she wanted a lot more than t that and she said she was going to tell ten mrs loran and started out and he jammed the pistol against her back as she passed him in the doorway think ing it was empty intending to scare her and it went off she took two or three steps and tell fell and he be saw the empty cartridge roiling roll ng across the floor and picked it up and then ran to her and called to her to get up and saw she was dead and he heard someone on the stairs and turned out the lights and when father came te in the dark he jumped past him down the stairs and ran and he saw fa ther a car and started to drive away in it and realized he had turned into a one way street and might be arrested for that so he left it there and hurried back to the station and sneaked on the train no one saw him so phil I 1 went to the american em bassy here and told them and they got the police they are going to arrange things so they can bear hear everything we say in case I 1 can get him to go over it all again ill I 1 U try phil they say just my story isn t enough to prove it maybe you 11 II have heard from the po lice before you get this I 1 read about father a commutation and even if I 1 c t get mr loran to talk again this may help heir to get father pardoned it its s too late to help me but maybe tt it will help make up tor for my deserting you all anyway tt it a all I 1 can do mary phil read this letter through with racing eyes and when he had done he read it again more slowly till every word was fixed on his brain and there was great triumph h in him and a deep jubilation his first thought was to rouse his moth er tell her but she was asleep and if she knew this tonight she would not sleep again she would insist that they leave the tram train go back to his father and he thought of barbara bar bara who of them all had never faltered in her faith and in the end he hugged this secret close it could wait he decided wait till tomorrow wait till they were with barbara barbara had a right to be the first to know so in the morning they we e roused early since cleveland would be reached soon after dawn he nothing to mrs sentry when saw his high spirits and asked question he said evasively ea e oh just looking forward to seeing bar bara that s all they alighted at the station and dan and barbara were there to greet them and was quick in her mother mothers s arms while phil pumped dan s hand barbara came to kiss phil her eyes dancing and she linked her arm through his and mrs sentry and dan were close on their heels and they came to dan s car phil watching barbara thought she was become beautiful it had never oc burred to him that his sister was beautiful before he had thought of her as a nice looking youngster but now she wore a subtle radiance of glowing eyes and clear skin and steady lips that were strong even when they curved in quick laughter phil said dan you ve made a beauty out of barb old doctor fisher dan chuck led every treatment guaran teed A raving auty after three months of marriage or your money back then they were stowing them selves in the car and phil saw that it was new and thought dan must be prospering and wondered what their home would be like it was an apartment he knew and when they were arrived the apartment though small proved to be reas surin gly sunny and comfortable and the furniture could not be ob ejected to phil saved his great news relish ing the anticipation of their great happiness barbara through break fast did most of the talking only appealing to dan for corroboration now and then relating her arrival in m cleveland when she came to join dan and the first days in m a hotel when while dan was at work she sought for apartments till she had a list for his inspection and how they moved in here with nothing but twin beds a few towels and some linen and so began house keeping so first I 1 furnished the kitchen barbara explained just buying each day the things I 1 actually need ed and then the bedroom and then I 1 began on the living room aft er I 1 had things picked out dan would go see them before I 1 decided and I 1 made all the hangings my self by hand I 1 in as good a semp stress as miss simpkins right now mother and when we had every thing in I 1 began to monogram our linen why mother you re cry ing mrs sentry said through tears it s all right barbara I 1 was just being sorry for myself because I 1 missed sharing all that fun with you I 1 should have been here helped done most of it she spoke to dan I 1 ni afraid your bride didn dian t come to you as well equipped and pre pared as she should have been dan dan grinned I 1 haven t any corn com plaint he declared but maybe it was hard on barb you idiot said barbara gently and to her mother it s been fun perfect I 1 t have wanted it any other way mrs sentry looked toward phil and suddenly her eyes twinkled ill I 1 II 11 do better by you and linda phil she promised and phil s heart leaped and barbara cried de light edly phil I 1 you and linda honest oh that s grand grandl phil could not speak staring at hia bib mother barbara was kissing him hard and happily and dan was shaking his hand and then afie tele phone rang in the hall and dan went to answer it and phil said shakily but mother how did you know she smiled I 1 am not blind you and linda wore it like banners that day you came back to york and you don t minda I 1 ve minded your not trusting me enough to tell me about it that s all when will you be married 7 9 barbara challenged soon mrs sentry said smilingly yes soon I 1 hope and to her son I 1 wasn gasn t sure I 1 could let you go till we saw barbara so happy phil at home I 1 had too much the feeling that things were ending that there was nothing to look forward to but things are just beginning here with barb and dan and you and linda can make a fine new begin ning too phil s throat was full he thought this is the time to tell them he reached in his pocket for mary marys s letter but then dan came into the room he came quietly enough yet his ery very quiet made them look at him in sudden attention phil saw dan s face white and set and barbara saw dan dans s face too and was in his arms in one swift movement staring up at him crying dant danl what is it dan dan said in a low tone it was the office that called mrs sentry they ve just had an A P bulletin with great news gus loran has confessed to the french police that he killed miss wines the gover r nor says mr sentry will be par boned at once will be free today trains are tedious things but planes move swiftly yet to mrs sentry that day while they seemed to hang motionless in a cloudless sky alive with sunshine so bright she thought it could never be ob scared the swift journey homeward appeared to be interminable but it was not the panorama be low them moment by moment changed the mountains beneath them slid behind new cities far ahead came quickly into view and then distant yet beautiful the sea before they landed at east bos ton phil had seen linda waiting far below in his arms held close her lips tight to his she whispered only his name phil phil phil her lips moving against his and then he is waiting for you phil for you all to take him home together eh eli is here with the limousine and I 1 ve my car he rode with her through congest ed streets to the shabby portals of the prison and the limousine pulled up behind them upon arrival there she said dan and I 1 will go on ahead phil just you whom he loves to meet him here and bring him home and she whispered but hurry to me phil phil nodded his eyes blurred so that he could not see of what fol lowed he remembered little save the strong grasp of his father s hand then they were in the lim busine phil on one of the small seats half turned to face barbara and his father and mother in the seat behind they crossed the bridge above the murky railroad yards and phil saw how pale his father was but beyond driving beside the river where the sun shone clear phil thought it will put color in his cheek again it will nottage not take long and he thought we are all very silent and then he nodded understanding there was too much to say and yet there was nothing that was not already being said by barbara her hands tight clasped on his fathers arm by mrs sentry pressed close against her husband husbands s side they crossed the river passed familiar corners soon now they would be at home and linda would be waiting phil turned in his seat to face for ward he turned to look ahead THE END |