Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1930-10-31
CHAPTER XIV
Some Day


tine. She left Will at the bank. His
coat pocket was stuffed with the
packet Of bills the teller had given
them, and her bank balance was re-
duced to three figures. But that didn't
matter. Not bit. She was a million
times richer than she had been the
day before. The handbook figures
would fatten again.
She wished she had her car, but,
lacking 1t, she went across to Sheridan
road, took bus north, rode almost to
Devon, left the bus and went to Lii
lian's.
Nobody answered the bell, but the
door was unlocked, so Ernestine
walked in. The house was silent, but
she was instantly aware of the fact
that some one was in 1t. She called,
but no one answered. She went
through into the kitchen. The maids
bedroom was off the kitchen and the
door stood open. Ernestine went in
there and saw that the room wore an
unoccupied look. She opened the
closet door. The hooks were empty.
The maid had left, or had been dis
missed.
She was still under the domination
Of her deep self. and. as she had been
governed in Wits ofice an hour or SO
earlier by forces she did not under
stand, so now she went quickly up the
stairs, through the silent house and
into the big front bedroom where LII
Ian and Loring slept. The cover
showed the impress Of body. the pill
low had been drawn out from under
the spread. She looked swiftly about
and was not at all surprised to see
Loring standing against the wall, be-
hind her, one hand behind his back.
His coat collar was turned up
across the back, his hair was in dis
order, he was unshaved, and across
one cheek was a deep imprint
where his sleeve, or his pillow, had
creased his flesh.
Ernestine went to him and held out
her hand.
"Give it to me-" she said sternly, as
she might have addressed Peter.
Loring stared at her sulkily for
moment, his haggard eyes taking on
a belated vitality. Then. silently, but
with a shrug and grimace, he drew
from behind him a small nickel-plated
revolver and put 1t In her hand. Ernes-
tine crossed the room, opened the win
dow and flung it far away into the
water of the lake that breathed against
the sandy beach.
She turned back to Loring, closed
the window and busted her hands.
THAT'S that" she said, with CLEAN
in her eyes. "What did you think
that was going to do for your"
He dragged himself away from the
wall and sank down into a chaise-
Tongue. With kind Of groan Loring
hid his face in his hands and sat there
like a broken man.
II didn't know till this afternoon"
he said. But the grand jury"
That's all right, Loring," said
Ernestine. "That's fixed"
'Fixed?" he said hoarsely, and
looked up at her, his expression little
wild. "You don't understand. They've
got me seven ways"
mot now" she said, thinking how
strange it was that he could never
know about Pastano, and about the
twenty thousand dollars.
"Will fixed it." she said gently.
"You know, he has friends who told
him. Will fixed it for you, Loring.
He could-there are men downtown
who would do anything for viii. He
knows the ropes"
Lorings head fell forward again.
am a failure" he muttered. "A
complete failure-and now VIII pulls
me out of the rubbish heap. I've been
here In the house all afternoon, trying
to screw myself up to do one decent
thing-to get myself out Of the way
before all this falls on the rest Of you.
and 1 couldn't even do this"
"Of course you couldn't. You're too
perfectly healthy. You've been fool
perhaps-like the rest Of US, but you
aren't crazy, and only insane people
are capable Of self-destruction. Look,
Loring, you can start again. Why,
men sometimes nave 10 Sthrt dSaln
when they're old. Lots Of men fail
once-or twice-and then succeed.
You can start back and rebuild your
fathers old business. What If you
have to let the house and the car go
its a small price for new start.
Pastano will let you alone, as long as
you stay off of his preserves. Lillians
got her money. viii and 1 are going
to start new"
He looked up at her-eager to be
comforted as a child is eager to be
comforted-eager to believe her, COM
ing back, slowly and painfully. from
the dark places Of fright and mad
ness.
'But Lilllan"-he said, protesting,
arguing, as mortal man always argues,
on the wrong side-"Lillians going to
have baby--that was what sickened