Come, come, Cale! Calm yourself! You know perfectly well how
fond I was of her. I couldn't have done anything so foul as--Why,
Cale, she was nothing but a kid, a little girl to me. I--"
"Yes,--that's what she was,--a kid, just a poor little kid. She
trusted you. I trusted you. We all trusted you. And now she's--she's
dead. My sister! My pretty little sister!" He straightened up and
threw his arm across his eyes, only to withdraw it instantly. "GOD
DAMN YOU! Get up! Come over here! Here's her letter. Read it! Read
it, you dirty swine!"
He reached inside his blouse and drew forth a folded bit of paper.
"I--I don't want to read it," faltered Thane, shrinking back. "I
know nothing about all this nonsense you are--"
"I give you ten seconds to do what I tell you," grated Cale, harshly.
"If you don't I'll blow your head off." He levelled the revolver.
"It's your own gun,--so I guess you know it's loaded. Come on!"
Thane crawled to the fire.
"My God,--you wouldn't kill me, Cale?" he gasped, reaching out his
shaking hand for the letter.
"Read it!" ordered the inexorable voice.
It was a short letter. Courtney took it in as a whole; the dancing,
jumbled web of words that raced before his glazed eyes. Parts of
sentences, a word here and there, his own name, filtered through
the veil,--and were lost in the chaos of his own thoughts.
Pages:
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368