The Face of Rosenfeld — page 126: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THH FACH OF ROSENFEL, 119 blessing of a man like me 1s a poor legacy, but I should like to say something to show you that I am really sorry for the part I have played in your life. You always were a good girl, and did your best to please me. Jam not your father. I could not feel toward you asa father ought, perhaps, but I was not insensible of your virtues. I never was more pleased in my life than when I heard———”_ He seemed to think himself in danger of committing himself here, for he hesitated and finally substituted: ‘* When you just now told me that you had escaped a terrible accident. Good-by, Annette.” Annette went out sobbing. When the door had closed behind her, Maxey mentally braced himself for a desperate contest. Unfortunately for him, at the very outset of the battle he felt a distrust of himself and a dread of the superior strength of his adversary. Acting upon the theory that Mr. Dye had some knowl- edge of the crime on the sea-road, he had prepared a terrible surprise for him. He had caused it to be un- derstood that the victim of that crime had died in conse- quence, and then suddenly confronted him with her. He had congratulated himself beforehand on the effect of this trying situation, but Mr. Dye had scarcely ex- pressed more surprise than if tt had been the most or- dinary occurrence of daily life. Maxey spoke up sharply: ‘«¢ Now to the business which I have to transact with you, There is no need of your standing, sir. Sit down.” ‘<< Sir, I was standing here,” said Mr. Dye, thoroughly recovered from his recent momentary weakness, ‘‘ utterly at a loss to determine what could be the marvelous nat- ure of the circumstances that could influence such a gentleman as yourself to take the pains to enter into a 900 ) : * ee ae €o