"He is just crossing the street," she announced. "I think that he seems to
be coming here."
Craig took the girl for a minute into his arms.
"Good-bye, dear," he said. "I want you to take this paper and keep it
carefully. You will be cared for always, but I must go."
"But where must you go?" she asked bewildered.
"I have an appointment at Professor Ashleigh's," he told her. "I cannot
tell you anything more than that. Good-bye!"
He kissed her for a moment passionately. Then suddenly he tore himself
away. She heard him run lightly down the stairs. Some instinct led her to
the back window. She saw him emerge from the house and pass down the yard.
Then she went to the front. The man in the blue serge suit was talking to
the landlady below. She sank into a chair, puzzled and unhappy. Then she
heard heavy footsteps. The door was opened. The man in the blue serge suit
entered, followed by the protesting landlady.
"There's no sense in coming here to worry the young lady," Mrs. Malony
declared irritably. "As for Mr. Craig, I told you that he'd gone out."
"Gone out, eh?" the man repeated, speaking in a thick, disagreeable tone.
"Why, I watched him in here not ten minutes ago. Now then, young lady,
guess you'd better cough up the truth. Where's this precious uncle of
yours?"
"My uncle has gone out," the girl replied, drawing herself up. "He left
five minutes ago."
"Sneaked out by the back way, maybe," the man sneered.
"If there was any fear of your stopping to speak to him, I should think he
would," the girl retorted boldly.
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