Swallow,
come home and dine with me. Where are you staying?"
"At Mr. Swallow's, but I leave by the night train."
"So soon! But come and dine. I will send for your bag and see that you
get to your train."
The prospect of Swallow and his feeble, overdressed wife, and his
comrade's urgency, decided Woodburn. He said, "Yes, if Mr. Swallow will
excuse me."
Swallow said, "Oh, of course!" relieved to be rid of a dissatisfied
client, and the two ex-soldiers went away together chatting of West Point
life.
Half-way up the avenue Penhallow said, "Before we go in, a word or two--"
"What is it, Jim?"
"That fellow said nothing of Mrs. Penhallow, you are sure?"
"Yes," returned Woodburn, "not a word. I knew that you lived here, but
neither of you nor of Mrs. Penhallow did he say a word in connection with
this business. I meant to look you up this afternoon. Why do you speak of
your wife?"
"Because--well--I could not let you join us without an honest word
concerning what I was sure you would have heard from Swallow. Now if you
had taken what I presume was his advice--to punish the people concerned
in warning Josiah, you--indeed I--might hesitate--"
"What do you mean, Jim?" said his companion much amazed.
"I mean this: After our loose-tongued friend Grey told my wife that
Josiah was in danger, she sent him word of the risk he ran, and then drew
out of our bank for him his savings and enabled him to get away.
Pages:
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231