"HE MIGHT EVEN MARRY HER"
"I don't see why you must have her out of the way entirely," hesitated
Molly Merriweather, looking up into Jordan Morse's face. "Couldn't you
send her to some girls' place?"
"Now you don't know anything about it, Molly," answered the man
impatiently. "If she doesn't disappear absolutely, the cobbler and
Theodore'll find her."
"That's so," said Molly, meditatively, "but it seems horrible----"
Morse interrupted her with a sarcastic laugh.
"That's what Theodore would think, and more, too, if he thought any
one was going to harm a hair of the child's head."
Molly flamed red.
"To save her, he might even marry her," Morse went on relentlessly.
Molly gestured negatively.
"He wouldn't. He couldn't!" she cried stormily. She had never
permitted herself to face such a catastrophe save when she was angry.
Jordan Morse contemplated his wife a short space of time.
"I can't understand your falling in love with a man who hasn't
breathed a word of affection for you," he said tentatively.
Molly showed him an angry face.
"You're not a woman, so you can't judge," she replied.
"Thank God for that!" retorted Morse.
"We wouldn't have had any of this trouble," he continued, at length,
"if you'd let me know about the boy. There's no excuse for you,
absolutely none. You know very well I would have come back."
All the softness in the woman turned to hardness.
"How many times," she flamed, "must I tell you I was too angry to
write or beg you to come, Jordan?... I've told you over and over."
"And with all you say, I can't understand it. Are you going to impart
your precious past to Theodore?"
"No," replied Molly, setting her lips.
Presently Morse laughed provokingly.
"How you women do count your chickens before they're hatched! Where
did you get the idea Theodore was going to ask you to marry him?"
"I'll make him," breathed Molly, with confidence.
"Well, go ahead," bantered Morse. "All I ask for releasing you is that
you'll help me rid myself of my beautiful niece, Virginia, at the same
time ridding yourself, my lady, and give me my boy when we find him."
His tones in the first part of the speech were mocking, but Molly
noted when he said "boy" his voice softened. She looked at him
wonderingly. What a strange mixture of good and evil he was! When he
got up to leave, she was not sorry. She watched him stride away with a
deep sigh of relief.
She was still sitting in the summer house when Theodore King swung his
motor through the gate and drew up before the porch. He jumped out,
wiped his face, saw Molly, and smiled.
"Well, it's cool here," he said, walking toward her.
"Yes," said Molly. "Come and sit down a minute."
Theodore looked doubtfully at the house.
"I really ought to do some writing, but I'll sit a while if you like.
I passed Jordan on the way home."
Molly nodded, and Theodore quizzed her with laughing eyes.
"Isn't he coming pretty often?" he asked. "Jordan's got prospects,
Molly! If his niece isn't found, you know, he'll have a fortune....
Better set your cap for him."
Molly blushed under his words, trying not to show her resentment. Was
Theodore a perfect fool? Couldn't he see she desired no one but
himself, and him alone?
"Jordan doesn't care for me that way," she observed with dignity, "and
I don't care for him."
Theodore flicked an ash from his cigar.
"I think you're mistaken, Molly--I mean as far as he is concerned."
"I'm not! Of course, I'm not! Oh, Theodore, I've been wanting to ask
you something for a long time. I do want to go back home for a day....
Would you take me?"
Theodore eyed her through wreaths of blue smoke.
"Well, I might," he hesitated, "but hadn't you better ask Jordan? I'm
afraid he wouldn't like me----"
Molly got up so quickly that Theodore, surprised, got up too.
"I don't want Jordan, and I do want you," she said emphatically. "Of
course if you don't care to go----"
"On the contrary," interrupted Theodore, good-naturedly, "I would
really like it.... Yes, I'll go all right.... I have a reason for
going."
Molly's whole demeanor changed. She gave a musical laugh. He could
have but one reason, and she felt she knew that reason! What a
handsome dear he was, and how she loved the whole bigness of him!
As she turned to walk away, Theodore fell in at her side, suiting his
steps to hers.
"Mind you, Molly, any day you say but Saturday."
"Why not Saturday?" asked Molly, pouting. "I might want you then!"
Unsuspecting, Mr. King explained.
"The fact is, Saturday I've planned to go on the hill. You remember
Grandoken's niece? I want to find out how she's progressing in her
music."
If Theodore had been watching Molly's face, he would have noted how
its expression changed darkly. But, humming a tune, he went into the
house unconcernedly, and Molly recognized the rhythm as one Jinnie had
played that night long ago with Peg Grandoken's lace curtains draped
about her.
Jinnie's youth, her bright blue eyes, her wonderful talent, Molly
hated, and hated cordially. Then she decided Theodore should go with
her Saturday.
That evening when Jordan Morse came in, Molly told him she would help
him in any scheme to get Jinnie away from Bellaire.
"You're beginning to understand he likes her pretty much, eh?" asked
the man rudely.
Molly wouldn't admit this, but she replied simply:
"I don't want her around. That's all! As long as she's in Bellaire,
the Kings'll always have her here with her fiddle."
"Some fiddle," monotoned Jordan.
"It's the violin that attracts Theodore," hesitated Molly.
"And her blue eyes," interrupted Jordan, smiling widely.
"Her talent, you mean," corrected Molly.
"And her curls," laughed Morse. "I swear if she wasn't a relation of
mine I'd marry the kid myself. She's a beauty!... She's got you
skinned to death."
"You needn't be insulting, Jordan," admonished Molly, flushing.
"It's the truth, though. That's where the rub comes. You can't wool
me, Molly. If she were hideous, you wouldn't worry at all.... Why, I
know seven or eight girls right here in Bellaire who'd give their eye
teeth and wear store ones to get Theodore to look at 'em crosseyed....
Lord, what fools women are!"
Molly left him angrily, and Morse, shrugging his shoulders, strolled
on through the trees. Not far from the house he met Theodore, and they
wandered on together, smoking in silence. Morse suddenly developed an
idea. Why shouldn't he sound King about Jinnie? Accordingly, he began
with:
"That's a wonderful girl, Grandoken's niece."
This topic was one Theodore loved to speak of, to dream so, so he said
impetuously:
"She is indeed. I only wish I could get her away from Paradise Road."
Morse turned curious eyes on his friend.
"Why?"
"Well, I don't think it's any place for an impressionable young girl
like her."
"She's living with Jews, too, isn't she?"
"Yes, but good people," Theodore replied. "I want her to go away to
school. I'd be willing to pay her expenses----"
Morse flung around upon him.
"Send her away to school? You?"
"Yes. Why not? Wouldn't it be a good piece of charity work? She's the
most talented girl I ever saw."
"And the prettiest," Jordan cut in.
"By far the prettiest," answered King without hesitation.
His voice was full of feeling, and Jordan Morse needed no more to tell
him plainly that Theodore loved Jinnie Grandoken. A sudden chill
clutched at his heart. If King ever took Jinnie under his protection,
his own plans would count for nothing. He went home that night
disgusted with himself for having stayed away from his home country so
long, angry that Molly had not told him about the baby, and more than
angry with Theodore King.