Part 55 (1/2)

For a second Mary hesitated. If she made the murderous spring which every baffled nerve in her tortured body urged her to make, Amy would scream. A scream would mean, Miss Philps--Esther--the doctor: agony and defeat. With a mighty effort she held herself. She tried to speak quietly.

”Don't be a fool, Amy. This is some medicine the doctor gave me himself.

Hand it to me at once.”

Aunt Amy smiled. It was a sly little smile. It made Mary want to rave, for it said more plainly than words that Aunt Amy knew. Swiftly she changed her tactics. Her face softened, became gentle, entreating--

”Amy--dear. I am only going to use a little. If you love me, give me the box.”

Useless! Aunt Amy still smiled. She put the box behind her. With her other hand she felt for the door k.n.o.b.

”Amy, give it to me! What have I ever done to you?”

”You stole my ring.” In exactly the same tone she might have said, ”You are a murderess.”

The ring! Mary had forgotten the ring. Wait, perhaps it was not hopeless even yet. Amy placed an absurd value on that ring--and she, Mary, had the gem in her possession. She did not know that Esther had found and restored it. To her it was still in the box at the bottom of her drawer.

A dazzling plan flashed through her excited brain. She would bribe Amy with the ring. The thought nerved her.

”Do you really want your ring back?” she asked sweetly.

Aunt Amy paused with her hands on the door k.n.o.b.

”I have it back.”

”Oh, no. You haven't. It is in a box in my drawer.”

”It is not. Esther gave it to me!” But there was a spark of fear in Amy's eyes. Contradiction so easily confused her. _Had_ Esther given her the ring? She felt oddly uncertain.

Mary laughed, and the laugh increased Aunt Amy's confusion. After all it was quite possible that Mary had taken the ring again. It had been locked away and hidden, but locks and hiding-places were never an obstacle to ”Them.”

”I've got it safe enough!” taunted Mary, tormentingly.

The spark of fear flamed. Amy took a swift step forward. ”Give it to me!”

”Give me the box--and I will.”

Aunt Amy had ceased to care about the box. Almost she placed it in the outstretched hand, then, with quick cunning, caught it back.

”The ring first.”

Mary shrugged her shoulders. She felt cool enough now. It was going to be easy. She turned to the bureau and began to pull things out of the drawer, scattering them anywhere. She could not remember exactly where she had put the ring. As she searched, she talked.

”There is nothing to be tragic about,” she said. ”I intended to give you your ring anyway--some day. And the medicine is nothing that will hurt.

It is only something to make me sleep so that I shan't look a sight to-morrow. I am taking only a little. No one will know. I shall not even oversleep. But if Esther or any of them knew, they would make a fuss.

You must promise not to tell them--before I give you the ring. Just tell Esther that I do not want to be disturbed early. I'll wake myself, in plenty of time for the wedding.”

”In plenty of time for the wedding!” For a moment Amy wondered what it was about the phrase which sounded familiar? Then she seemed to see, as in a dream, the vision of a young girl all in white, with flowers in her hands, sitting alone in a room waiting, watching a clock--a clock which never quite came round to the hour of eleven on Tuesday. Time has a great deal to do with weddings, evidently. People who wish to be married must be ready at the fateful moment, otherwise they have to wait--forever, perhaps. ”Plenty of time”--suddenly a flash of direct inspiration seemed to coordinate her scattered faculties. She saw clearly a plan, a beautiful, simple plan to prevent the marriage. What if Mary should _not_ wake in plenty of time for the wedding? What if the hour, the wedding hour, should not find her ready? The thing was so simple! If one tablet would make Mary sleep, two would make her sleep longer. For the moment she forgot even the ruby ring in her childish pleasure at such a clever idea. Her worn face was lit by a satisfied smile as she swiftly, quietly dropped more tablets from the box into the gla.s.s--one--two--she was not quite sure how many!