"You must be mistaken, Mr. Challoner; I certainly told you--" And
picking up his hat, once more turned his attention to the prosecutor.
"Well, Senator, good-day!" At the door, he called back: "You've made a
clean and honest fight--you deserve success! Good-day!"
But no sooner had the words passed his lips, than Shirley, almost beside
herself, again broke forth:--
"A clean, honest fight! Oh!"
Murgatroyd resumed his seat, smiling. "Yes," he said, as if wholly
unconscious of the girl's irony, "it is hard work to be chosen Senator
without half a million or so behind you."
Up to this time, Shirley had held her indignation within bounds; but at
this remark, she lost all control over herself.
"Why you--you're a thief!" she cried.
Instantly, Mrs. Challoner stepped forward, and raising a reproving hand,
she said with great determination:--
"No, no, Shirley, I won't have you say such things! You must leave the
room! You and Laurie--I insist upon it!"
Such an outburst from Miriam was so unusual that for a moment both
Shirley and Challoner were taken aback. It was clear that unknown to
them, Miriam had made up her mind to some course of action; in fact, so
completely had she taken the situation in hand, that it was easy to
imagine that she had forgotten that she was in the prosecutor's office
and not in her own home.
Fierce anger burned in Shirley's impulsive heart, as glancing at
Murgatroyd, she perceived that he was as impassive as ever, apparently
taking little interest in the scene that was being enacted before him. A
few moments elapsed before she could bring herself to agree to Miriam's
demand.
"Very well," assented Shirley, "we'll wait outside, but don't keep us
waiting long." And, as reluctantly she left the room with Challoner, she
said in a loud whisper so that Murgatroyd could hear it: "What on earth
can Miriam want to see him alone for?"
For answer, Challoner merely shook his head.
Left alone with the prosecutor, Miriam asked permission to lock the
door; and although surprised at such a request, Murgatroyd went over to
the door and locked it. Then, motioning politely for her to be seated,
he took a chair opposite to hers and asked severely:--
"Mrs. Challoner, what do you mean by this? Do you recall the compact
made nearly six years ago?"
"Yes, yes," she answered, in a manner that showed plainly her desire to
conciliate him.
"Your husband went free," Murgatroyd continued, "and when we made our
compact, we did not know whether he was innocent or not, whether it was
within the power of the law to hold him or to free him. But I kept my
part of the compact in good faith--innocent or guilty, he finally went
free."
"Yes, yes, I know," she returned eagerly.
"Your part of the compact was silence,--you promised to keep
silent,--and yet, twice in this building you have broken your word, and
Heaven knows how many times outside," he concluded solemnly.
"Yes, yes," she answered contritely, "I know. Don't think for a moment
that I have any fault to find with you, Mr. Murgatroyd. None, whatever.
I have always upheld you, always believed in you, I believe in you
now...."
"That's more than Shirley does," and Murgatroyd smiled grimly, "for I
heard her say that she would like to lynch me--she would, if you would
let her," he added lightly.
"But she doesn't understand, Mr. Murgatroyd. She is frightfully
impulsive; you must not take her so seriously. Besides, what can a mere
girl know of the troubles of--" She paused for a brief moment; and
continuing, said in a changed tone: "But I'm glad, very glad that my
money could help to put the right man in the right place, glad that my
money has done so much good at last. Yes, I was wrong to speak----"
All the while she had been talking, Murgatroyd eyed her strangely.
"What do you want of me?" he broke in suddenly.
"Yes, yes, I must get to the point," she answered timidly, and then
looked up at him as if searching for some expression on his face which
would help her to go on; but she saw there only impatience, and it was
with some trepidation that she proceeded: "Of course you know how
splendidly Lawrence has done these last five years--what a man he has
made of himself? Why certainly you know, because he helped you with that
concrete affair, and--" She paused to see the effect of her words; but
again they had been received with apparent indifference. Nevertheless,
she said proudly: "Lawrence has gone in business for himself. Yes," she
added quickly, nervously tapping the desk before her with her fingers,
"and Lawrence can get that hospital job. He wants it--wants it badly,
for he knows he would do it right. Mr. Murgatroyd, it would be the
making of his business----"
She paused, while her mind struggled helplessly to find the fitting
words with which to frame the difficult request that was to come.
"Lawrence needs a bondsman to get that job--a man with one hundred
thousand dollars to go on his bond. And you know it is very hard,
particularly hard for him to find a man who is worth that much to go on
his bond--a bond that he'll do the work, and do it right. Oh, Mr.
Murgatroyd, would it be asking too much of you to----"
Murgatroyd rose and gazed at her steadily.
"And you are asking me to go on a hundred-thousand-dollar bond for your
husband?"
The tone of his voice told Miriam what she had to expect, and her heart
grew chill, but she braced herself to go on:--
"Yes," she answered; and her voice was very gentle and very winning as
she proceeded: "And if he could get a little money, just a little to buy
materials. We have saved five hundred dollars, but that will not go far.
Oh, he has worked so hard, and I don't want him to get discouraged! He
wouldn't ask these things for himself--No, indeed! You'll go on his
bond, won't you?" she asked with a wan smile. "And loan him a few
thousand dollars to start the job?"