The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-27
The Amazing Thing That Happened as
Madee and pr. Petit Left the Res


Madse and Or. Petit Left the Res
taurant.
The oath was like prayer in its
utterance. Then felt my hands
seized by the doctors strong ones ard
crushed againts his lips.
Don't be afraid. little girl" he was
murmuriug. Just the touch Of your
hands against my lips. That is all III
ask"
How. dare YOU" I gasped. finding
my breath at last How dare you
utter such untruths about Dicky! And
to think that I have allowed myself to
listen to those other words Of yours.
/ never want to see you again
I snatched my hand away from DR..
Pettit's touch at the table in the un-
obtrusive alcove off the main dining
room, in which. through a misunder
standing OF the head waiter at Ristorfs.
DR.. Petit and / had eaten our lunch
con instead of in the public grill / was
intent upon one thing only--to get
away from the presence Of the young
physician who, to my inflamed imagi-
nation, had either gone insane or was
uttering the most fragrant untruths
about Dicky. together with a lot Of
wild utterances concerning my being
meant to be his mate. and that he
would make up to me for my husbands
neglect.
My hand was reaching for my wrap
when the physicians strong hand fell
over mine and effectually prevented
my putting it on.
Listen to me, he commanded stern
~. You shall leave here in two min
utes, and I promise that I won't speak
to you in the interval If you don't wish
me to do so. But surely your COMMON
sense tells you that for you TO rush
away in this manner viii only lead to
most unpleasant comment on the part
Of anyone who happens to see you.
Wait until I have summoned the waiter
and have paid the bilI-then we can
leave here decorously"
I was not so frightened but that I
could see the reasonableness of his
plea. Indeed, when I mentally caught
my breath, / realized that I wasn't
afraid of DR.. Petit at. all My passion
ate indignation had been aroused by
his accusations against Dieky, and his
declaration Of love for me, both Of
which / felt We're insults to me.
And yet there was something about
the man as he stood there with averted
face that appealed to my sense OF jus
tice.
If he believed the dreadful things he
had said about Dicky We're true. If ne
really cared for me as he had said
brooding over them might well have
led him to say things which he might
Of aVsA LIT. 4.
clared he had meant to go away to
South America without speaking Of the
feeling for me he had cherished so long.
South Ameriea-the words recalled
what had forgotten: that for my sake
this man had accepted a mission which
might prove most dangerous, in which
he might lose his life, the mission of
looking after my father Surely this
fact ought to excuse much in my eyes.
1t served at least to make my voice
kinder as I said in as matter Of fact
tone as / could manage:
"'Of course, you are right. But please
call the waiter, for I must leave inn
mediately."
He looked about for the waiter but
he was serving someone in the main
dining room, then, suddenly, he put his
head in his hands.
''Fool that I was" he muttered 4
might have known that you'd take it
this way. And now 1 suppose that even
our friendship is at an end"
/ felt a sudden inconsistent feminine
impulse to make him retract his words
concerning Dicky. / would not admit
even. to myself. how much his accusa-
tons disturbed me, how they fitted in
with observations and suspicious of
my own.
1T need not be the end Of our friend
ship" / said, IF you win only take back
the terrible, the unjust things you have
said about my husband, and forget all
about the other nonsense you have
talked"
He raised his head from his hands
and gazed fixedly at me.
II would like to lie to you he said.
but 1 can't. have seen and heard too
much to be any doubt at all about
your husband"
But you cannot have proofs" ]
cried, needless that in my agonizing
doubt / was opening the way for the
discussion OF the subject I had just for
hidden.
see here" he said roughly. 4
don't intend to subject myself to an
other rebuff such as I've just encoun-
tered. viii say only one thing to you
If you are not wholly blind you viii
find out about the association OF your
husband and Edith Fairfax
Edith Fairfax" / repeated the
words mechanically. And in that mo-