Prev | Current Page 123 | Next

Johnson, Owen, 1878-1952

"Murder in Any Degree"

Then another man comes into her life and she makes
of him a test to know once and for all the answer to her question. Jack,
that was it. That was the instinct that drove me to try if I _could_
leave you--the instinct I did not understand then, but that I do now,
when it's too late."
"Yes, she is clever," he thought to himself, listening to her, desiring
her the more as he admired what he did not credit. He felt that he
wanted to be convinced and with a last angry resistance, said:
"Very clever, indeed!"
She looked at him with her clear, gray look, a smile in her eyes,
sadness on her lips.
"You know it is true."
He did not reply. Finally he said bruskly:
"And when did--did the change come to you?"
"In the carriage, when every turn of the wheel, every passing street,
was rushing me away from you. I thought of you--alone--lost--and
suddenly I knew. I beat with my fists on the window and called to the
coachman like a madman. I don't know what I said. I came back."
She stopped, pressing back the tears that had started on her eyelids at
the memory.


Pages:
111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135