Part 21 (2/2)

”Sure I'll go out!” he said stupidly. ”I'll do anything you want me to.

I feel like a skunk about this--it had sort of slipped my mind, Mart!

Every fellow lets himself in for something like this.”

Trapped. It was the one thought she had when he was gone, and when she had sprung feverishly from bed, and was quickly dressing. Trapped, in this friendly, comfortable room, where she had been so happy and so proud! She had been so innocently complacent over her state as this man's wife, she had planned for their future so courageously. Now she was--what? Now she was--what?

Just to escape somehow and instantly, that was the first wild impulse.

He was gone, but he was coming back: he must not find her here. She must disappear, n.o.body must ever find her. Sally and her father, Rose and Rodney must never know! Martie Monroe, married to a man who was married before, disgraced, exiled, lost. n.o.body knew that she was going to have a baby, but Monroe would surmise that.

Oh, fool--fool--fool that she had been to marry him so! But it was too late for that. She must face the situation now, and fret over the past some other day.

She had felt the thought of a return to Monroe intolerable: but quickly she changed her mind. Sally's home might be an immediate retreat, she could rest there, and plan there. Her sister was eagerly awaiting an answer to the letter in which she begged Martie to come to her for the month of the baby's birth.

Martie, packing frantically, glanced at the clock. It was two o'clock now, she could get the four o'clock boat. She would be in peaceful Monroe at seven. And after that----?

After that she did not know. Should she ever return to Wallace, under any circ.u.mstances? Should she tell Sally? Should she hide both Wallace's revelations and the morning's earlier hopes of motherhood?

Child that she was, she could not decide. She had had no preparation for these crises, she was sick with shock and terror. Married to a man who was already married--and perhaps to have a baby!

But she never faltered in her instant determination to leave him. If she was not his wife, at least she could face the unknown future far more bravely than the dubious present. If she had been wrong, she would not add more wrong.

With her bag packed, and her hat pinned on, she paused, and looked about the room. The window curtain flapped uncertainly, a gritty wind blew straight down Geary Street. The bed was unmade, the sweet orange peels still scented the air.

Martie suddenly flung her gloves aside, and knelt down beside her bed.

She had an impulse to make her last act in this room a prayer.

Wallace, pale and quiet, opened the door, and as she rose from her knees their eyes met. In a second they were in each other's arms, and Martie was sobbing on his shoulder.

”Mart--my darling little girl! I'm so sorry!”

”I know you are--I know you are!”

”It's only for a few days, dearie--until I settle her once and for all!”

”That's all!”

”And then you'll come back, and we'll go have Spanish omelette at the Poodle Dog, won't we?”

”Oh, Wallie, darling, I hope--I hope we will!”

She gasped on a long breath, and dried her eyes.

”How much money have you got, dearie?”

”About--I don't know. About four dollars, I think.”

”Well, here--” He was all the husband again, stuffing gold pieces into her purse. ”You're going down to the four boat? I'll take you down. And wire me when you get there, Martie, so I won't worry. And tell Sally I wish her luck, I'll certainly be glad to hear the news.” They were at the doorway; he put his arm about her. ”You DO love me, Mart?”

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