Adventure, December 1914 — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

I22 find out what’s the matter; let her resent my questions as she likes. I’ll wait till she comes back again.” When she did come back again it was not necessary for him to as! questions; she be- gan on her own account. Coming forward she leaned upon the edge of the table, as if she found its support de- sirable. There was an expression on her face and in her eyes which moved him more than he could have thought was possible. Her voice, usually so round and true, was tremulous and broken. “‘I—I—I’m sorry to have to tell you, Mr. Adair, that—that—you must go.”’ “Go!” He stared at her in astonish- ment; that was not at all what he had ex- pected to hear. “You are not well, Miss Dennis. Let me beg you to sit down. I'll get you a chair.” “No, I won’t sit down! I—I’m quite well, thank you.”’ She seemed to make an effort at self-control; words came more freely. ‘‘You remember that I told you when you first came to see the rooms that —I didn’t think I ought to let them.” “But why must I go? Won’t you ex- plain, Miss Dennis? Have I done anything to annoy your Have you found me a troublesome tenant?” “No, I haven’t; but—I can’t explain. I can only tell you—you must go. At once.” “At once? What do you mean by at once?” “‘Before—before—half-past ten.” “Before half-past ten? Why, it’s nearly ten o’clock now! You’re not serious, Miss Dennis? You’re not proposing to turn me out of the house at less than half an hour’s notice? There must be some very extraordinary reason which is inducing you to act in such a way. “Suppose I decline to go? I should be quite within my rights. I don’t wish to say anything unpleasant, but when you talk about my being out of the house by half past ten, in less than half an hour, I’m com- pelled to remind you that you’re in my debt; I’m not in yours. The period for which I made you an advance payment has still two or three days to run.” “Yes, I—I know; that makes it so— dreadful. And I can’t—give you your money back again; I haven’t got it.” The girl’s state of distress was hurting him each moment more and more. He became desperate. Adventure “Excuse me, Miss Dennis, but matters have reached a point when I must ask you to forgive me if I seem to thrust myself into your private affairs. You said noth- ing about my going before I left last Friday.” “I—I hoped then it wouldn’t be neces- sary.” ‘‘And what, in so short a space of time, has made it necessary? Are you in want of money? You must forgive my speaking bluntly, but if that is the case I am pre- pared to make you an advance payment on account of these rooms to practically any extent you please. But I decline to be turned out of them—that’s final!” THE girl seemed to try her best to regard him steadily, and to keep herself straight up, but her eyes were all at once blinded by tears. She sank down on to the chair which she had hitherto refused, dropped her head on the white tablecloth, and began to cry in a fashion which terrified Mr. Adair. He stared at her dumfounded. “Good gracious!’ he stammered. ‘‘Miss Dennis, don’t do that sort of thing. I didn’t mean to be a brute. [I'll get out of the house inside of five minutes if you like. I only wish you to understand that if you want a friend—or—or help, or anything of that kind, you might count on me; that’s all. But if you’re so anxious that I should leave your house——”’ “T’m not anxious. >») I don’t want you to go The wail came from the head on the tablecloth. As he listened Mr. Adair’s confusion seemed to increase. “But if you’re not anxious that I should go, if you don’t want me to go ‘ “It’s not a question of what I want. Can’t you understand? You'll have to go. You can’t stay here. You can’t.” “I’m sorry, Miss Dennis, but I can not, and do not, understand. If—as you put it—you don’t want me to go, why can’t I stay?” ‘““Because——”’ She raised her face from the tablecloth, with the tears streaming down her cheeks, and did her best to meet his eyes. “‘Because—there’ll be not a stick of furniture left in the house. You can’t sleep on nothing, and have your meals on the floor.” comicloool (©