Part 84 (1/2)
whatever--whoever--comes into your life. Love and fidelity!--what a marriage they make!”
Young Webb bent and kissed her hand, saying: ”You must be a very good woman to give such n.o.ble advice. And Willie Enslee must be a mighty good husband. Come along, Alice, remember your promise!”
He started to drag her out, but Alice hung back and demanded, ”Give us your blessing first.”
”My blessing? My blessing?” And Persis' amazement was hardly greater than a curious shock of rapture over the unheard-of prayer.
”Yes, for you are so good!” Alice insisted. And Persis, in half-hysterical emotion, waved her s.h.i.+vering hands over them and murmured:
”G.o.d be with you forever!”
When they had gone and Forbes came back to her she was mumbling in a strange delight: ”I don't believe any one ever before called me good. It has a rather pleasant sound.” She was half laughing, half crying. ”I've done some good in the world at last.”
”I don't believe I ever truly loved you till now,” Forbes said. He had played eavesdropper to her counsel, and it had endeared her to him magically. He took her in his arms and she kissed him, and there was a moment of peaceful oblivion. Then the habit of stealth resumed control of Persis. She began anew to hear footsteps everywhere and to imagine eyes gazing from all sides.
”You mustn't stay a minute longer,” she whispered. ”Willie is at home.
You telephoned you had something awfully important to tell me.”
”Yes. You've got to help me make the most important decision of my life.”
”Can't it wait?”
”No. I must decide to-day. My leave of absence has been withdrawn, and I've been ordered back to my cavalry regiment at once.”
So disaster followed disaster.
”Isn't there any way out of it?” she asked, weakly.
”I tried to get the order recalled, but there is some influence against me at Was.h.i.+ngton.”
”Some woman! I know! It's Willie's mother. She has General Brans...o...b.. under her thumb.”
”But that would mean that she suspected us!”
”A woman always suspects the worst. And she's always right. Well, what are we to do?”
”That is for you to decide, Persis,” Forbes said. ”I have two letters here, two requests.” He produced two formidable official envelopes. ”I have influence enough to get either of them granted.”
”What are they?” she asked, terrified by the doc.u.ments.
”This is an acknowledgment of the order and a statement that I take the train to-morrow for New Mexico.”
”New Mexico!” Persis gasped. ”I shouldn't see you again for a long, long while.”
”Never.”
”Then I choose that you send the other letter, of course,” she spoke almost gaily. ”What is it?”
”My resignation from the service.”
”Your resignation?” she gasped. ”Why should you resign?”
”To avoid court-martial for the crime of stealing another man's wife.