Part 40 (1/2)

”Still, my house, you know--and my friend. It's horrible!” In fact Mr.

Early was s.h.i.+vering as though he had the ague. ”It would drive me mad if any one should think--why, Mrs. Percival, think of the scandal of having him with me for months. Of course, if they catch him, I'll make him clear me at once. But, take it how you will, it is awful. The least I can expect is to be laughed at over the whole civilized world for being his dupe. I've always prided myself on my clean skirts. You think I'm raving, Mrs. Percival. I am nearly mad.” Mr. Early suddenly leaped up with horror newly reborn in his eyes. ”And I had just given him a large check. That is bound to look bad. There is no knowing how it may be misconstrued. Great heavens, what am I to do?”

Lena flushed.

”I'm afraid that check was for me,” she said. ”Mr. Early, I want to thank you--for--for being so generous to me; and when d.i.c.k comes back from North Dakota, he will repay you at once.”

Mr. Early caught himself up and remembered that he had a part to play in the present drama.

”When d.i.c.k comes back,” he said in a stupefied way, ”what do you mean by 'when d.i.c.k comes back'? Isn't he here now? Why, he must be. It isn't an hour since he signed--”

”Didn't you know he was away?” asked Lena timidly, her heart sinking, for Mr. Early's tone was sharp.

”I certainly thought he signed a note made out to me. Was it another piece of the Swami's clever forgery?”

”He--I--” cried poor Lena in confusion. ”Oh, Mr. Early, do you call it forgery?--my own husband's name? Oh, I--oh, Mr. Early, what are you thinking?” At this moment she was the picture of confused innocence.

Mr. Early looked at her and gave a long-drawn breath of astonishment.

”I understand,” he said at last, while Lena hung her head. ”You wrote d.i.c.k's name for him, and he knows nothing about it. Well, let it go at that. It is a matter of no consequence. And, my dear Mrs. Percival, I would suggest that this matter be kept a secret between you and me.

We'll never mention the debt again. I'm sure you will accept the rubies as a little gift from one of the most humble of your admirers.” He bent forward and kissed her finger-tips in his most gallant manner.

”Oh, Mr. Early, you are so good!” Lena's voice expressed manifest relief. The memory came back to her of what Ram Juna had said about the bond created by favor. It flashed into her mind, ”He thinks it is sweet and innocent and womanly in me to do such a thing in ignorance. d.i.c.k would think so, too. How should I know?”

”But suppose d.i.c.k shouldn't like to have me take them from you, such a magnificent gift?”

”I would suggest,” Mr. Early's manner was regaining some of its self-possession, ”that you speak of the necklace--is that it in your hand? a really wonderful thing, with curious settings, carved by hand--as I was saying, I would suggest that you speak of it as a gift from the Swami, who, as is well known, was much impressed by your charms. A present from such a creature, who hardly comes into the category of ordinary men, would create no such remark as might a gift from me. Do you not see? We will let the truth remain a little secret between us two. I have an idea that we shall not be likely to see Ram Juna again. I fancy he is a fellow of greater cunning than any of us dreamed; and if he has a little start of the detectives, I doubt if they have so much as a glimpse of his heels; though, to be sure, he is rather a marked figure, and difficult to disguise. Now don't forget. The Swami, with oriental profuseness, gave you the rubies.”

”You are a dear,” gushed Lena. ”Oh, I do hope he is gone!” After all, it was a relief that d.i.c.k should not know.

”One favor I must ask, my dear Mrs. Percival,” Mr. Early went on hesitatingly. ”If, by any chance, d.i.c.k should ever come to know of this, will you a.s.sure him that I supposed his signature to be genuine? I wouldn't have him suspect that I--that I was a party--or at least that I knew that you wrote it for him. For really, little woman, it wasn't strictly honest, you know.”

”I'm afraid it wasn't,” Lena confessed with charming blushes. ”But I didn't think. I don't know much about such things, you know.”

”Of course you don't. No nice woman does,” said Mr. Early comfortingly.

”And now let us forget it.”

”Here come the officers,” said Lena.

”It ain't no use,” said the captain disgustedly. ”He's given us the slip, somehow. And we'd watched the house and made sure we'd nab him.”

”What are you going to do?” asked Mr. Early.

”Take his kit, and set guards and send telegraph descriptions of him in all directions. 'Taint likely he can get clean away. He'll be a marked man wherever he goes.”

”If there is anything I can do to help you,” said Mr. Early grandiloquently, ”you can command me, though you may imagine that it is very offensive to me to be mixed up in this kind of affair.”

”Well, rather,” said the officer dryly. Then, seeing the flush rising on Mr. Early's face, he went on with the patronage of the majesty of the law: ”You needn't fear that you'll suffer any personal inconvenience.