Part 33 (2/2)
”What am I to do? What am I to do? I believed Howard guilty. Why shouldn't I? I had no reason to doubt his own confession! Every one believed it--his own father included. Why should I doubt it. But I see it all now! Underwood must have shot himself as he said he would!”
Annie started. What did Mrs. Jeffries mean? Did she realize the tremendous significance of the words she was uttering?
”As he said he would?” she repeated slowly.
”Yes,” said Alicia weakly.
Annie bounded forward and grasped her companion's arm. Her face flushed, almost unable to speak from suppressed emotion, she cried:
”Ah! I begin to understand. You knew Robert Underwood? Howard knows your voice--he heard you--talking to him----Oh, Mrs. Jeffries! Are you the woman who visited his apartment that night?”
The banker's wife bowed her head and collapsed on a chair.
”Yes,” she murmured in a low tone.
Annie looked at her in amazement.
”Why didn't you come forward at once?” she cried. ”Think of the pain which you might have spared us!”
Alicia covered her face with her handkerchief. She was crying now.
”The disgrace--the disgrace!” she moaned.
”Disgrace!” echoed Annie, stupefied. Indignantly, she went on: ”Disgrace--to you? But what of me and Howard?”
Alicia looked up.
”Can't you realize what it means to be a.s.sociated with such a crime?”
she wailed.
”Disgrace!” cried Annie contemptuously. ”What is disgrace when a human life is at stake?”
”It seemed so useless,” moaned Alicia--”a useless sacrifice in the face of Howard's confession. Of course--if I'd known--if I'd suspected what you tell me--I'd have come forward and told everything--no matter at what cost.” Tearfully she added: ”Surely you realize the position it puts me in?”
A new light shone in Annie's eyes. What was this woman's misery to her?
Her duty was to the poor fellow who was counting the hours until she could set him free. His stepmother deserved no mercy. Utterly selfish, devoid of a spark of humanity, she would have left them both to perish in order to protect herself from shame and ridicule. Her face was set and determined as she said calmly:
”It must be done now.”
”Yes,” murmured Alicia in a low tone that sounded like a sob, ”it must be done now! Oh, if I'd only done it before--if I'd only told Mr.
Jeffries the whole truth! You speak of Howard's sufferings. If he didn't do it, he has at least the consciousness of his own innocence, but I--the constant fear of being found out is worse than any h.e.l.l the imagination can conjure up. I dreaded it--I dread it now--it means disgrace--social ostracism--my husband must know--the whole world will know.”
Annie was not listening. Still bewildered, she gazed with the utmost astonishment at her companion. To think that this mysterious woman they had been seeking was Howard's stepmother.
”So you're the missing witness we've all been hunting for!” she said; ”I can't believe it even now. How did it happen?”
Alicia explained in short, broken sentences:
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