"Why not?" "I could not go back to New York. I have no money to go with, even if I could find a place for myself again." "Your place is open to you." Herold stared at him. Marche repeated the assertion profanely. "Damnation," he said, "if you'd talked this way to me five years ago, I'd never have stood in your way. All I heard of the matter was what Vyse told me. I'm not associated with him any more; I'll stand for his minding [Pg 138]his own affairs. The thing for you to do, Courtney, is to get into the game again and clean up what you owe Vyse. Here's seven thousand; you can borrow the rest from me. And then we'll go into things again and hustle. It was a good combination, Courtney—we'd have been rich men—except for the slip you made. Come on in with me again. Or would you rather continue to inhabit your own private hell?" [Pg 138] "Do you know what you are saying, Marche?" said the other hoarsely. "Sure, I do. I guess you've done full time for a first offense. Clean off the slate, Courtney. You and Vyse and I know it—nobody else—Gilkins is dead. Come on, man! That boy of yours is [Pg 139]a corker! I love him—that little brother, Jim, of mine; and as for—Molly——" His voice broke and he turned sharply aside, saying: "It's certainly blue-bird weather, Courtney, and we all might as well go North. Come out under the stars, and we'll talk it over." [Pg 139] It was almost dawn when they returned. Marche's hand lay lightly on Courtney's shoulder for a moment, as they parted. Above, as Courtney stood feeling blindly for his door, Molly's door swung softly ajar, and the girl came out in her night-dress. "Father," she whispered, "is it all right?" [Pg 140]"All right, thank God, little daughter." [Pg 140] "And—I may care for him?"
Prev.
Back
Top