Part 60 (1/2)
”Will you send me word when I may come?”
”Yes.”
”Thank you,” he said, and the next moment she was gone.
”She is a grand woman,” Scott said, as he watched her until she was hid from his view. ”She is lovely, n.o.ble, and how few there are like her. But I must not even admire her. I wonder if they are all alike--vain of their beauty.”
Scott returned to his office, trying, and quite unable to banish the image of Blanche Elsworth from his mind. He began opening the mail which lay on his desk.
”Ah, here is a letter from Paul, G.o.d bless him. I hope he will be here soon,” and a smile pa.s.sed over his face as he read: ”I will see you ere long. The facts that we are both enabled to furnish in regard to that affair will no doubt be sufficient evidence.”
”Yes,” Scott said, ”I think it will be quite enough. But one element is doubtful, and I think we shall master that, too. What a brave boy Paul is; I shall make him an offer when he returns--that is, to take a share of my business--yes, and my wealth, to study law--in fact, to do anything to become one of the family. There is one heart that is true as steel, and he is and has been more than a brother to me.”
Mr. Le Moyne entered.
”Well,” he said, ”is there any news?”
”Everything has worked to my entire satisfaction, and the property is found.”
”But where is the rightful heir?”
”That is all that remains to be discovered and I have a clue. Please be ready to come to my house when I send you word, as I want you to hear a statement that will no doubt soon be made.”
”Have you heard from the boy Paul?”
”Yes, I have just received a letter containing some very valuable information. He will be here soon; he does not state just when, but I can rely on his judgment, knowing that he will be sure to come at the right time.”
”He must be very shrewd to be able to work out some of the secrets that he has.”
”He has the wisdom of a judge, and as for honesty, I would no sooner doubt him than I would myself. I would trust him with my life.”
While Scott and Mr. Le Moyne are holding an important conversation let us enter for a time the home of old Meg and Crisp. They are seated at their rude table, eating their meal of soup, crackers and brown bread.
Old Meg looks still more repulsive than before her sickness. Her face is thin and overspread with a dark, sallow color that is almost frightful in appearance. She looks up at Crisp with a grin of satisfaction. Her gray locks are falling from under her cap and straying in slovenly fas.h.i.+on over her cheeks and forehead.
”I've got the promise of a good sum from that rich lawyer, and as soon as we get it, we'll clear out and go to Californy, and hunt up John and when we find him I'll let him know that Meg ain't to be fooled with in this fas.h.i.+on.”
She uttered these words bringing her hand down on the table with a force that set the old, cracked dishes rattling.
”I wouldn't mind to beat the whole of 'em,” said Crisp, ”but there'll be a job on hand to do it.”
”Yes, yes, but let me tell you that Meg and her boy Crisp can do it.
There's John--after all the promises he made see how he stuck to his word. He's got the money and we can't help it till we find him; then see, my boy, then see.”
”I s'pose he lives like a king,” said Crisp.
”Well, he will not feel so grand when he sees old Meg walk in his parlor.”
”Ha, ha,” laughed Crisp, ”I'd like to see the color of his face when it is done. Then there's Rene; I wonder what she means by keeping in the shade as she does.”