Prev | Current Page 111 | Next

Johnson, Owen, 1878-1952

"Murder in Any Degree"

"
"The lights?"
"When they went on again--I was engaged."
"Great heavens!"
"The old fainting trick."
"Is it possible?"
"I see it all now. A man sees things as they are at such a moment."
He gave a short, disagreeable laugh. "Jim, she had those lights all
fixed!"
"Frightful!"
Lightbody, who had stripped his soul in confession, no longer was
conscious of shame. He struck the table, punctuating his wrath, and
cried:
"And that's the truth! The solemn literal truth! That's my story!"
To confess, it had been necessary to be swept away in a burst of anger.
The necessity having ceased, he crossed his arms, quite calm, laughing a
low, scornful laugh.
"My dear boy," said De Gollyer, to relieve the tension, "as a matter of
fact, that's the way you're all caught."
"I believe it," said Lightbody curtly. He had now an instinctive desire
to insult the whole female sex.
"I know--a bachelor knows. The things I have seen and the things I have
heard. My dear fellow, as a matter of fact, marriage is all very well
for bankers and brokers, unconvicted millionaires, week domestic animals
in search of a capable housekeeper, you know, and all that sort of
thing, but for men of the world--like ourselves, it's a mistake.


Pages:
99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123