Part 11 (1/2)
”How'd you know?”
”Peter told me,--not in words, bless his heart! He just let it out when he was in a babbling mood. I mean, he let fall side remarks, and I just gathered the truth. I didn't tell him I knew. Open-hearted as he was, Peter was reserved in some ways.”
”Dear old chap, so he was. Our great work will never materialize now.
Unless I write it alone. I'd like to do that,--and publish it over both our names, and explain in a preface.”
”Do,” said Shelby; ”it would please the old people a lot.”
CHAPTER V
Madame Parlato
Blair's first interview with Carly Harper was painful for both. The Cranes had told her of Peter's death, but the sight of Blair seemed to bring home to the girl a further and more vivid realization of her loss.
”I wish now I'd been kinder to him,” she said, her voice quivering.
”Oh, come now, Carly, I know you weren't unkind.”
”No; but I wouldn't--wouldn't do what he asked me----”
”Never mind, dear; I think I know what you mean, and, let me tell you, old Peter was happy enough--about you. He seemed pretty sure that things were coming his way.”
”Of course,” the girl said frankly. ”I only wanted him to go away, free, and then if he still wanted me when he came back--and now he'll never come back!” she gave way to silent weeping.
”His parents say he has come back,” offered Blair, more by way of diversion than comfort.
Carly looked up quickly. ”They told you that?” she said.
”Yes, told me pretty much all about their 'messages.' Foolishness, of course, but it seems to comfort them.”
”It doesn't comfort me,” and Carly sighed. ”I don't believe in it, you see.” And she looked at him with a curious glance.
”No; I don't either. But the old people do, and if it helps them bear their grief,--why----”
”Yes; I understand. How--how much did they tell you?”
”All, I suppose. They said some medium,--well, not a professional, but some friend of theirs,--helped them to get messages 'through,' as they call it.”
”Didn't they tell you who the friend was?”
”No; but they weren't mysterious about it. They simply didn't say. I believe Julie doesn't like to have them try it,--the Ouija, I mean.”
”Oh, she feels as I do,--as anybody must,--if they like it let them have it. She went to the lectures.”
”Everybody did, it seems.”
”Yes, the whole town went crazy on the subject. Is yet, but not quite to the same extent.”