She crept like a cat through the thicket.
Suddenly she paused. "Look!" she whispered, viciously, "look at the
tender vigils of your heart-broken May!"
Cass saw the woman who had left him a moment before on her knees on the
grass, with long thin fingers digging like a ghoul in the earth. He had
scarce time to notice her eager face and eyes, cast now and then back
toward the spot where she had left him, before there was a crash in
the bushes, and a man,--the stranger of the road,--leaped to her side.
"Run," he said; "run for it now. You're watched!"
"Oh! that man, Beard!" she said, contemptuously.
"No, another in a wagon. Quick. Fool, you know the place now,--you
can come later; run!" And half-dragging, half-lifting her, he bore her
through the bushes. Scarcely had they closed behind the pair than
Miss Porter ran to the spot vacated by the woman. "Look!" she cried,
triumphantly, "look!"
Cass looked, and sank on his knees beside her.
"It WAS worth a thousand dollars, wasn't it?" she repeated, maliciously,
"wasn't it? But you ought to return it! REALLY you ought."
Cass could scarcely articulate. "But how did YOU know it?" he finally
gasped.
"Oh, I suspected something; there was a woman, and you know you're SUCH
a fool!"
Cass rose, stiffly.
"Don't be a greater fool now, but go and bring my horse and wagon from
the hill, and don't say anything to the driver."
"Then you did not come alone?"
"No; it would have been bold and improper.
Pages:
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56