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He appealed to Merkle with the same result, but succeeded in borrowing a thousand dollars, with which he bought Lorelei a set of black opals, going into debt for half the price. Lorelei's family continued to smart under a sense of bitter injustice, but although they kept aloof they were by no means uninterested in her experiment.
"I thought you'd be back, but you've come a mite too soon: I told you to be patient and not fret," she observed, after a pause of penetrating scrutiny. Charity drew the money from her breast. "I've come to get my blue brooch," she said, flushing. "Your brooch?" Dr. Merkle appeared not to remember. "My, yes I get so many things of that kind.
Lorelei spoke timidly, for the first time. "But the law, Mr. Merkle? The police ?" "To hell with the law!" Jim burst out, nervously. "D'you want to go to court? D'you want to be up for murder? Lilas would saddle it onto you to save herself." "Murder?" echoed Bob, with a start. "Jove!" Jarvis Hammon cried furiously: "Don't be fools. There's no murder about it. I told you I shot myself accidentally.
She had come to this dreadful place because she knew of no other way of making sure that she was not mistaken about her state; and the woman had taken her for a miserable creature like Julia.... The thought was so horrible that she sprang up, white and shaking, one of her great rushes of anger sweeping over her. Dr. Merkle, still smiling, also rose. "Why do you run off in such a hurry?
Jim, who was immersed in the morning paper, spoke from his chair near the window. "Why don't you go after Merkle himself, Sis? Easy picking, these bankers." Jim also had come home in the still hours of the night before, and had but lately made his breakfast on a cup of coffee, three cigarettes, and the racing sheet of the Morning Telegraph.
But say I don't like the looks of this affair." For a second time Merkle appealed to Jim. "If you can't take your sister home I'll have to telephone for another car." Jim's tone was disagreeable as he replied: "You two don't look as if you'd been wrecked. Where's your driver?" Merkle's fist clenched; he muttered something, at which Jim laughed harshly.
He froze Jim with a glare. "Merkle told me how you tried to work your sister off on him. When you couldn't make that go you grabbed the next best man, eh? It's true, Bob; she's a stalking horse for her whole damned family." Bob centered his eyes laboriously upon the speaker, then said distinctly: "We've been good friends, Jarvis; you're a kind of an uncle to me, but you're a liar.
She was twice his age, but he married her just the same, and his people made a fine settlement to get rid of her. She was tough, too. Mrs. Wharton is a great club woman and the head of a thousand charities." "That's no sign she's charitable." "You can't tell. She might take you right into the family." "Bob is an alcoholic. He's no good, so Mr. Merkle said."
Why, he'd strap the coppers on my feet and turn on the juice with his own hand rather than lose this chance." As her flow of speech died down to apologetic murmurs Bob said gravely: "I never thought Merkle and I could cover a thing like Hammon's death, but, after all, they can't do much to us." "It's mighty kind of you to say so.
The meal grew noisier; the orchestra interspersed sensuous melodies from the popular successes with the tantalizing rag-time airs that had set the city to singing. Silent-footed attendants deposited tissue-covered packages before the guests. There was a flutter of excitement as the women began to examine their favors. "What is it?" Merkle inquired, leaning toward Lorelei.
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