Page 91 (1/1)
Two days passed before David Cable was per hours he lived an age of agony in suspense She had been reht of the "hold-up," as the newspapers felt justified in calling it He did not go to his office the next day--nor the next--but haunted her door, sleepless, nervous, held close by dread A dozen tiht ad the doctor and the nurses for their interference
His worst fear, however, was that his ould not forgive him Not the dread of exposure, nor his own shaht inflict, could be corew to feel that the doctor, the nurses, the servants looked upon hih respectful eyes In his heart he believed that his wife had cursed hi bare his part in the unhappy transaction
At last the suspense becae in Jane'shis wife had said, for Jane had been allowed in the sick-room The discovery that she was not his child had not as yet struck deep into his understanding In a vague sort of way he realised that she was different, now that he knew, but it was iht than that of the years gone by The time would come when the full realisation would cut into his heart more deeply than now, but at present a cala all other troubles into the background His greatest desire was to reach his wife's side, to know the worst that could co of the second day he swore that he would see her--and alone They ad in every nerve She was lying, white and haggard, in her bed, her back toward him He paused for an instant and was certain that he saw her shudder violently It was significant She feared and loathed him
"Is it you, David?" he heard her ask weakly "At last! Oh, I was afraid that so had happened to you! That---"
He threw himself on his knees beside the bed and ith all the pent-up bitterness and misery that was in him--and still he was afraid to speak to her Not a word left his lips until he felt her hand in his hair--a tender, ti forth his cry for forgiveness With a groan, he checked her own appeal for mercy