Part 15 (1/2)
”It's my life,” Norman answered firmly.
The father slipped his arm around the tall, strong figure.
”All right! Remember now, from this moment on, one thing is settled for good and all. My boy's my boy, right or wrong, good or bad, wise or foolish----”
The Colonel's voice broke, and his grip tightened.
Norman looked out of the window, blinked his eyes, and said in low tones:
”I understand, sir!”
CHAPTER XI
THE WAY OF A WOMAN
As Elena entered the library the two men fell suddenly apart as though ashamed of the weakness of affection before a woman.
The girl pretended not to have seen, but her face was radiant.
The Colonel paused as he turned to leave the room:
”You will keep up your newspaper grind, my boy?” he asked.
”No. I'll jump at the chance to do the big thing. I'll give my whole time to it.”
”Well, I suppose you're right. The way to do a thing is to do it.”
As the father pa.s.sed Elena he softly whispered:
”Your face s.h.i.+nes like an angel's!”
”I am very happy,” was the low answer.
Norman hastened to her side, and seized both her hands.
”I owe this to you, my stately queen.”
”He would have come to the same conclusion himself. I only hastened it a little by a suggestion,” she replied.
”I have my own idea about the way you expressed it,” he said with a jolly laugh. ”Look here, Elena, I hope you don't believe that I have been disloyal to you in my a.s.sociation with Barbara Bozenta?”
The girl straightened her superb figure, and broke into a laugh of mingled humour and irony.
”Well, I've a confession to make, Norman. I've been disloyal to you.”
”You--disloyal--to me!” he gasped.