United States or United Kingdom ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He felt that the pressure in his chest was perceptible greater than it had been an hour or two before, and the thought grew upon him that it would be a terrible thing for the "explosion" to come when the sun was not shining. He wanted O'Connor back again. He had the desire to call out for Cardigan. He would have welcomed Father Layonne with a glad cry.
Half a dozen times the little devils of eagerness working in his blood prompted him to take to the window at once. For three days and nights thereafter he kept his secret and added to his strength. Doctor Cardigan came in to see him at intervals, and Father Layonne visited him regularly every afternoon. Mercer was his most frequent visitor.
All the rest of the day he tried to put himself in Fingers' brain, but his old trick of losing his personality in that of another failed him this time. He could find no reason for the sudden change in Fingers, unless it was what Fingers had frankly confessed to Father Layonne fear. The influence of mind, in this instance, had failed in its assault upon a mass of matter.
He faced the window, and for a space he did not see. Then with pencil and paper he wrote again to Fingers. It was late in the afternoon before Father Layonne returned with an answer. Again it was verbal. Fingers had read his note and had burned it with a match. He was particular that the last scrap of it was turned into ash, the missioner said.
Will you arrange it?" "Inspector Kedsty is waiting outside," said Father Layonne quietly, "but I should not act in haste, Jimmy. I should wait. I should think think." "You mean take time to think up a story that will hold water, mon père? I have that. I have the story. And yet " He smiled a bit dismally. "I did make one pretty thorough confession, didn't I, Father?"
She had given him no sympathy, had laughed at him, had almost made fun of him, simply because she knew that he was going to live! He turned suddenly on Father Layonne. "They shall believe me!" he cried. "I shall make them believe me! Mon père, I lied! I lied to save Sandy McTrigger, and I shall tell them why. If Doctor Cardigan has not made another mistake, I want them all here again.
He helped to smoke Kent's cigars with the intimacy of proprietorship, and with offensive freedom called him "Kent." He spoke of the Inspector as "Kedsty," and of Father Layonne as "the little preacher." He swelled perceptibly, and Kent knew that each hour of that swelling added to his own danger. He believed that Mercer was talking.
Naturally one would seek for assistance among those who have been his friends. But I do not, with the exception of Father Layonne. Just friendship won't save me, not the sort of friendship we have today. That's why I sent for you. Don't think that I am prying into secrets that are sacred to you, Fingers. God knows I don't mean it that way.
He had just finished his dinner, and Carter had taken the dishes away, when Father Layonne returned. A look at his face, and Kent knew that he bore unpleasant tidings. "Fingers is an an apostate," he said, his lips twitching as if to keep back a denunciation still more emphatic.
He saw Father Layonne again, with his white, tense face and eyes in which were still seated the fear and the horror he had seen in the doorway. It was not until then that he gripped fully at the truth. "I I see," he said. "You and Cardigan think it would have been better if I had died!" The missioner was still holding his hand. "I don't know, Jimmy, I don't know. What has happened is terrible."
Word Of The Day