Part 95 (1/2)

”Kathie absolutely refuses to testify for her father. She says that the accident was her own fault, and if there's a trial she will tell the truth.”

Before she had finished, Hal was on his feet. Her heart smote her as she saw the gray worry pa.s.s from his face and his shoulders square as from the relief of a burden lifted, ”Has it lain so heavy on your mind?” she asked pitifully.

”If you knew!” He walked half the length of the long room, then turned abruptly. ”You did that,” he said. ”You persuaded her.”

”No. I didn't, indeed.”

The eager light faded in his face. ”Of course not. Why should you after--Do you mind telling me how it happened?”

”It isn't my secret. But--but she has come to care very much for some one, and it is his influence.”

”Wonderful!” He laughed boyishly. ”I want to go out and run around and howl. Would you mind joining me in the college yell? Does Mac know?”

”n.o.body knows but you.”

”That's why Pierce kept postponing. And I, living under the shadow of this! How can I thank you!”

”Don't thank me,” she said with an effort. ”I--I've known it for weeks.

I meant to tell you long ago, but I thought you'd have learned it before now--and--and it was made hard for me.”

”Was that what you had to tell me about the paper, when you asked me to come to see you?”

She nodded.

”But how could I come?” he burst out. ”I suppose there's no use--I must go and tell Mac about this.”

”Wait,” she said.

He stopped, gazing at her doubtfully.

”I'm tearing down the tenement at Number 9.”

”Tearing it down?”

”As a confession that--that you were right. But I didn't know I owned it. Truly I didn't. You'll believe that, won't you?”

”Of course,” he cried eagerly. ”I did know it, but too late.”

”If you'd known in time would you have--”

”Left that out of the paper?” he finished, all the life gone from his voice. ”No, Esme. I couldn't have done that. But I could have said in the paper that you didn't know.”

”I thought so,” she said very quietly.

He misinterpreted this. ”I can't lie to you, Esme,” he said with a sad sincerity. ”I've lived with lies too long. I can't do it, not for any hope of happiness. Do I seem false and disloyal to you? Sometimes I do to myself. I can't help it. All a man can do is to follow his own light.

Or a woman either, I suppose. And your light and mine are worlds apart.”

Again, with a stab of memory, he saw that desperate smile on her lips.