children of the whirlwind-第48节

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e。　Blame　me　for　everything。〃

Her　judgment　upon　Hunt　was　pronounced　with　cold　finality；　her　eyes　straight　into　Hunt's：　〃Whatever　may　have　been　Mr。　Hunt's　motives；　I　unalterably　hold　him　to　blame。〃

She　turned　upon　Larry。　The　face　which　he　had　only　seen　in　gracious　moods　was　as　inflexibly　stern　as　a　prosecuting　attorney's。

〃We're　going　to　go　right　to　the　bottom　of　this；　Mr。　Brainard。　You　too　have　known　all　along　that　this　Miss　Cameron　was　really　the　Maggie　Carlisle　this　officer　speaks　of？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　you　have　known　all　along　that　she　was　the　daughter　of　this　notorious　criminal；　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle？〃

The　impulse　surged　up　in　Larry　to　tell　the　newly　learned　truth　about　Maggie。　But　he　remembered　Maggie's　injunction　that　the　truth　must　never　be　known。　He　checked　his　revelation　just　in　time。

〃Yes。〃

〃And　is　it　true　that　Maggie　Carlisle　is　herself　what　is　known　as　a　crook？or　has　had　crooked　inclinations　or　plans？〃

〃It's　like　this；　Miss　Sherwood〃

〃A　direct　answer；　please！〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　is　it　true；　as　this　officer　has　suggested；　that　you　were　in　love　with　her　yourself？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃You　are　aware　of　my　brother's　infatuation　for　her？　That　he　has　asked　her　to　marry　him？〃

〃Yes。〃

Her　voice　now　sounded　more　terrible　to　Larry。　〃I　took　you　in　to　give　you　a　chance。　And　your　repayment　has　been　that；　knowing　all　these　things；　you　have　kept　silent　and　let　me　and　my　brother　be　imposed　upon　by　a　swindling　operation。　And　who　knows；　since　you　admit　that　you　love　the　girl；　that　you　have　not　been　a　partner　in　the　conspiracy　from　the　first！〃

〃That's　exactly　the　idea；　Miss！〃　put　in　Gavegan。

Larry　had　foreseen　many　possible　wrong　turns　which　his　plan　might　take；　but　he　was　appalled　by　the　utter　unexpectedness　of　the　actual　disaster。　And　yet　he　recognized　that　the　evidence　justified　Miss　Sherwood's　judgment　of　him。　It　all　made　him　seem　an　ingrate　and　a　swindler。

For　the　moment　Larry　was　so　overwhelmed　that　he　made　no　attempt　to　speak。　And　since　for　once　Gavegan　was　content　merely　to　gloat　over　his　triumph；　there　was　stiff　silence　in　the　room　until　Miss　Sherwood　said　in　the　cold　voice　of　a　judge　after　a　jury　has　brought　in　a　verdict　of　guilty：

〃Of　course；　if　you　think　there　is　anything　you　may　say　for　yourself；　Mr。　Brainard；　you　now　have　the　chance　to　say　it。〃

〃I　have　much　to　say；　but　I　can't　blame　you　if　you　refuse　to　believe　most　of　it；〃　Larry　said　desperately；　fighting　for　what　seemed　his　last　chance。　〃I　loved　Maggie　Carlisle。　I　believed　she　had　splendid　qualities。　Only　she　was　dominated　by　the　twisted　ideas　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle　had　planted　in　her。　I　wanted　to　eradicate　those　twisted　ideas；　and　make　her　good　qualities　her　ruling　ones。　But　she　didn't　believe　in　me。　She　thought　me　a　soft…head；　a　police　stool；　a　squealer。　Then　I　had　to　disappear；　you　know　all　about　that。　Not　till　I　had　been　with　you　for　several　weeks　did　I　learn　that　she　was　being　used　in　a　swindling　scheme　against　Dick。

〃I　did　think　of　telling　you　or　Dick。　But　my　greatest　interest　was　to　awaken　that　better　person　I　believed　to　be　in　her；　and　I　knew　that　the　certain　result　of　my　exposing　her　to　you　would　be　for　me　to　lose　the　last　bit　of　influence　I　had　with　her；　and　for　her　to　pass　right　on　to　another　enterprise　of　similar　character。　So　the　idea　came　to　me　that　if　I　didn't　expose　her；　but　caused　her　to　be　received　with　every　courtesy　by　her　intended　victims；　the　effect　upon　her　would　be　that　she　would　feel　a　revulsion　for　what　she　was　doing　and　she　would　come　to　her　best　senses。　I　told　this　to　Mr。　Hunt；　that's　why　he　agreed　not　to　give　her　away。　And　another　point；　though　frankly　this　was　not　so　important　to　me：　it　seemed　to　me　that　a　good　hard　jolt　might　be　just　what　was　needed　to　make　Dick　take　life　more　seriously；　and　I　saw　in　this　affair　a　chance　for　Dick　to　get　just　the　jolt　he　needed。

〃That's　all；　Miss　Sherwood。　Except　that　I　have　seen　signs　which　make　me　believe　that　what　I　figured　would　happen　to　Maggie　Carlisle　have　begun　to　happen　to　her。〃

〃Bunk！〃　snorted　Gavegan。

〃I　know　that　part　of　what　he　says　is　true；〃　put　in　Hunt。

Miss　Sherwood　ignored　Hunt　and　his　remark。　The　look　of　controlled　wrath　which　she　held　upon　Larry　did　not　change。　Larry　recognized　that　his　statement　had　sounded　most　implausible。　Miss　Sherwood　in　her　indignation　considered　only　that　her　kindness　had　been　betrayed；　her　hospitality　outraged；　and　that　those　she　had　accepted　as　friends　had　sought　to　trick　her　family　in　the　worst　way　she　could　conceive；　and　she　spoke　accordingly。

〃If　that　is　the　best　Mr。　Brainard　has　to　say　for　himself；　Mr。　Gavegan；　you　may　take　him　with　you；　and　without　any　interference　from　me。　I　ask　only　that　you　take　him　out　of　the　house　at　once。〃

With　that　she　moved　from　the　room；　not　looking　again　at　either　Hunt　or　Larry。　For　a　brief　space　there　was　silence；　while　Gavegan　let　his　triumph　feed　gloatingly　upon　the　sight　of　his　prisoner。

This　brief　silence　was　broken　by　a　low；　strange　sound；　like　a　human　cry　quickly　repressed；　that　seemed　to　come　from　just　outside　the　French　windows。

〃What　was　that？〃　Larry　asked　quickly。

〃I　didn't　hear　anything；〃　said　Gavegan　whose　senses　had　been　thoroughly　concentrated　upon　his　triumph。

〃I　did；〃　said　Hunt。　〃On　the　veranda。〃

〃We'll　see。　Watch　him〃　to　the　county　officer；　and　Gavegan　followed　Hunt　to　the　French　windows　and　looked　out。　〃No　one　on　the　veranda；　and　no　one　in　sight；〃　he　reported。　〃You　fellows　must　have　been　dreaming。〃

He　returned　and　faced　Larry。　〃I　guess　you'll　admit；　Brainard；　that　I've　got　you　for　keeps　this　time。〃

〃Then　suppose　we　be　starting　for　Headquarters。〃　Larry　responded。

Hunt　moved　to　Larry's　side。　〃I'll　just　trail　along　after　you；　Larry。　Anyhow；　this　doesn't　seem　to　be　any　place　for　me。〃

A　few　minutes　afterwards　Larry　was　in　a　car　beside　Gavegan；　speeding　away　from　Cedar　Crest　toward　the　city。　Larry's　thoughts　were　the　gloomiest　he　had　entertained　since　he　had　come　out　of　Sing　Sing　months　before　with　his　great　dream。　All　that　he　had　counted　on　had　gone　wrong。　He　was　in　the　hands　of　the　police；　and　he　knew　how　hard　the　police　would　be。　He　had　incurred　the　hostility　of　Miss　Sherwood　and　had　lost　what　had　seemed　a　substantial　opportunity　to　start　his　career　as　an　honest　man。　The　only　item　of　his　great　plan　in　which　he　did　not　seem　to　have　failed　completely　was　Maggie。　And　he　did　not　know　what　Maggie　was　going　to　do。




CHAPTER　XXXII


When　Maggie　drove　away　with　Dick　from　Cedar　Crestthis　was　an　hour　before　Gavegan　descended　out　of　the　blue　upon　Larry　and　two　hours　before　he　rode　triumphantly　away　with　his　captiveshe　was　the　most　dazed　and　disillusioned　young　creature　who　had　ever　set　out　confidently　to　conquer　the　world。　Courage；　confidence；　quickness　of　wit；　all　the　qualities　on　which　she　had　prided　herself；　were　now　entirely　gone；　and　she　was　just　a　white；　limp　figure　that　wanted　to　run　away：　a　weak　figure　in　which　swirled　thoughts　almost　too　spasmodically　powerful　for　so　weakened　a　vessel　not　to　be　shattered　under　their　wild　strain：　thoughts　of　her　amazingly　discovered　real　fatherof　how　she　was　the　very　contradiction　of　her　father's　dream　of　Larryof　the　cunning　Jimmie　Carlisle　whom　till　this　day　she　had　believed　her　fatherof　Barney　Palmer。

So　agitated　was　she　with　these　gyrating　thoughts　that　she　was　not　conscious　that　Dick　had　stopped　the　car　on　the　green　roadside　until　he　had　taken　her　hand　and　had　begun　to　speak。　The　happy；　garrulous；　unobservant　Dick　had　not　noticed　anything　out　of　the　way　with　her　more　than　a　pallor　which　she　had　explained　away　as　being　due　to　nothing　more　than　a　bit　of　temporary　dizziness。　And　so　for　the　second　time　Dick　now　poured　out　his　love　to　her　and　asked　her　to　marry　him。

〃Don't；　Dickplease！〃　she　interrupted　him。　〃I　can't　marry　you！　Never！〃

〃What！〃　cried　the　astounded　Dick。　〃Maggiewhy　not？〃

〃I　can't。　That's　final。　And　don't　make　me　talk　to　you　now；　Dick　please！　I　cannot！〃

His　face；　so　fresh　and　happy　the　moment　before；　became　gray　and　lined　with　pain。　But　he　silently　swung　the　car　back　into　the　road。

She　forgot　him　utterly　in　what　was　happening　within　her。　As　they　rode　on；　she　forced　herself　to　think　of　what　she　should　do。　She　saw　herself　as　the　victim　of　much；　and　as　guilty　of　much。　And　then　inspiration　came　upon　her；　or　perhaps　it　was　merely　a　high　frenzy　of　desperation；　and　she　saw　that　the　responsibility　for　the　whole　situation　was　upon　her　alone；　she　saw　it　as　her　duty；　the　role　assigned　her；　to　try　to　untangle　alone　this　tangled　situation；　to　try　to　measure　out　justice　to　every　one。

First　of　all；　as　she　had　told　Larry；　her　father's　dream　of　her　must　remain　unbroken。　Whatever　she　did；　she　must　do　nothing　that　might　possibly　be　a　sharp　blow　to　the　conception　of　his　daughter　which　were　the　roots　and　trunk　and　flowering　branches　of　his　present　happiness。　。　。　。　And　then　came　a　real　inspiration！　She　would；　in　time；　make　herself　into　the　girl　he　believed　hermake　his　dream　the　truth！　She　would　get　rid　of　Old　Jimmie　and　Barneywould　cut　loose　from　everything　pertaining　to　her　former　lifewould　disappear　and　live　for　a　year　or　two　in　the　kind　of　environment　in　which　he　believed　he　had　placed　her…　…and　would　reappear　and　claim　him　for　her　father！　And　for　his　own　sake；　he　should　never　know　the　truth。　Tw