Part 27 (1/2)

Toomey adroitly selected the stockings which needed the least darning from her basket of mending, the latter came nearer really liking Priscilla Pantin than she had since she had known her.

Mrs. Pantin exhibited a completed spray for Mrs. Toomey's approval and commented upon the swiftness with which time sped in congenial company.

A delightful afternoon was especially appreciated in a community where there were so few with whom one could really unbend and talk freely--to all of which Mrs. Toomey agreed thoroughly, understanding, as she did, what Mrs. Pantin meant exactly.

”Even in a small community one must keep up the social bars and preserve the traditions of one's up-bringing, mustn't one?”

”One is apt to become lax, too democratic--it's the tendency of this western country,” Mrs. Toomey a.s.sented. She felt very exclusive and elegant at the moment.

Mrs. Pantin's eyes had been upon her work, now she raised them and looked at Mrs. Toomey squarely.

”Have you seen--a--Miss Prentice lately?”

Mrs. Toomey had the physical sensation of her heart flopping over. That was it, then! She had the feeling of having been trapped--hopelessly cornered. In a mental panic she answered:

”Not lately.”

”Are you expecting to see much of her?”

There was something portentous in the sweetness with which Mrs. Pantin asked the question.

It was a crisis--not only the test of her promised friends.h.i.+p and loyalty to Kate but to her own character and courage. Was she strong enough to meet it?

It was one of Mrs. Toomey's misfortunes to be not only self-a.n.a.lytical, but honest. She had no hallucinations whatever regarding her own weaknesses and shortcomings. As she called a spade a spade, so she knew herself to be by instinct and early training a toady. Of the same type, in appearance and characteristics, in this trait, lay the main difference in the two women: while Mrs. Pantin with her better intelligence was intensely selfish, Mrs. Toomey's dominant trait was a moral cowardice that made her a natural sycophant.

No quaking soldier ever exerted more will power to go into battle than did Mrs. Toomey to answer:

”I hope so.”

Mrs. Pantin's bright blue eyes sharpened. ”Ah-h, they must have money!”

she reflected. Aloud she said:

”Really?”

”Certainly.”

This was mutiny. Mrs. Pantin lifted a spa.r.s.e eyebrow--the one which the application of a burnt match improved wonderfully.

”Do you think that's--wise?”

Mrs. Toomey had a notion that if she attempted to stand her legs would behave like two sticks of wet macaroni, yet she questioned defiantly:

”Why not?”

Undoubtedly they had made a raise somewhere!

”Why--my dear--her reputation!”

”She doesn't know any more about that murder than we do,” bluntly.