BOLD PLAY.
When Patience reached Mullen House, she was shown into the
drawing-room, where she found Miss Mullen alone. The room was in
keeping with its stately mistress. Its furniture was massive, and black
with age, its draperies heavy and rich. Miss Tabitha evidently made an
especial effort to appear gracious, coming forward to meet her guest
with an effusive greeting very unlike her usual reserve.
"I beg pardon for sending for you," she said; "but I wanted to see you
alone. Take this chair: it is easier than that one. I hope you are very
well."
Patty met the advances of her hostess somewhat coldly; but the latter
determinedly ignored this, and talked lightly of indifferent things,
until the guest cut her short by asking somewhat abruptly why Miss
Mullen wished for her. Then that lady became somewhat embarrassed, and
found it difficult to introduce the delicate business of the interview.
"It is about Ease," she said, after some preliminary skirmishing;
"about Ease and--and myself. I sent for you because you have so much
influence over her. You have such a strong character, Patty! And,
besides, this concerns indirectly a member of your family."
Patty sat silent, beginning to surmise vaguely what was coming.
"I must tell you a family secret," the elder lady went on. "It isn't
fit for me to tell, or you to hear; but you cannot understand our
trouble if I don't. My father--perhaps you have heard the scandals, the
stories about that Smithers woman."
The other assented silently.
"My father," Miss Mullen continued desperately, "was completely imposed
upon by that miserable creature. He even wanted to marry the vile
thing; and she succeeded in extorting from him a paper which gave her
Mullen House after his death."
"A will," Patty said.
"Yes," the other admitted,--"a sort of a will, I suppose. I never saw
it, but Mr. Breck called it so."
"Mr. Breck!"
"Yes. He had far more to do with that vile woman than my father,
though, of course, they kept it hid, so as to get money from father;
and Mr. Breck had this paper."
"How did he get it?"
"She says he got somebody to steal it. The miserable creature came here
once, and threatened to turn me out of the house. And O Patty! she
could do it if she had that paper."
"But where is it now?"
"Frank Breck has it."
"Ah!" Patty said, light breaking in upon her. In an instant she
comprehended the bold game Frank had been playing. Pretending to have
the paper which he had failed to obtain from Mixon, and which lay at
that moment in her pocket, he had demanded the hand of Ease as its
price.
"He declares," poor Miss Mullen said, "that, unless Ease marries him,
he will ruin us; and he can do it."
"He is contemptible enough to do it," Patty returned with curling lip.
"He'd do any thing for his own ends. But what has all this to do with
me?"
"O Patty! you've so much influence with Ease: she admires you so much!
You couldn't see us turned out of house and home! If you would talk
to her, and persuade her, and show her how much depends upon her. You
could bring her to it, I'm sure. She won't listen to me. And if you'd
get your brother to go away a while"--
"Stop!" Patty exclaimed, starting to her feet. "How dare you talk to me
in that way! I shall tell Ease, that, if she consents to marry Frank
Breck, she will be too contemptible for honest people to speak to."
The proud mistress of Mullen House caught Patty's hand, even fell on
her knees to her, weeping, and begging her to pity her gray hairs.
"Get up," said Patty, chilled and repelled by the intense selfishness
which every word displayed. "You care nothing for Ease; but she is
safe, at least. I have your father's will here: Peter Mixon gave it to
me before he died."
Miss Mullen gave a cry, and fell back into a sitting posture, white
and staring; while from the embrasure of a window behind whose curtain
she had concealed him that he might overhear the interview, sprang
Frank Breck.
"That will belongs to me," he said. "Peter Mixon got it from Mrs.
Smithers for father, and never delivered it to him. Give it to me!"
"It belongs to Mrs. Smithers," Patty returned, standing at bay. "I
shall give it to its rightful owner."
"No, no!" cried Miss Mullen, seizing again the hand of her guest. "No,
no! She could turn us into the street the minute she got it. Oh, for
pity's sake, Patience, give it to me! I shall die of shame if Mullen
House gets into her hands. Oh, for the love of God, let me have it!
Think of Ease. You love her. Will shall marry her. I'll give them my
part in all the property--but just enough to live on. I'll do any
thing, any thing, any thing, if only you'll give me that will. Don't
rob us of our home and all we have!"
"It isn't I that rob you," Patty said sadly.
"By God!" Frank cried, grasping roughly, in his turn, the hand which
Patty freed from the convulsive clasp of Miss Mullen, "you shall give
it to me. You shall never take it out of this house, if I have to kill
you!"
Patty uttered a scream which rang through the dusky old room, and by a
strong and sudden effort wrenched herself free, throwing her assailant
to his knees; then she turned, and darted out of the room and out of
the house. As she gained the long avenue, she heard Breck in pursuit,
and she ran as she had never run before in the most hoydenish days of
her girlhood. He overtook her just as she reached the great gate, but
not before she had seen the figure of a man in the street.
"Help, help!" she cried.
In another instant Tom Putnam stood between her and his nephew. The
lawyer looked from one to the other in amazement; while Patty, panting
and breathless, thrust into his hands the will, but could not speak.
Frank attempted to snatch the precious document, but his uncle held him
off.
"What is this?" he asked. "What does this mean, Frank?"
"It means that between you, you are making a devilish mess," the young
man said in a rage; "and I wash my hands of it.--I wish you joy of what
you have done."
He cast a scowling look at Patty, as he addressed to her the last
words, and, not heeding his uncle's voice, strode off down the street.
"Will you tell me what all this is about?" Tom asked, unfolding the
will.
"You can see for yourself," she answered. "It is about that--about your
tenant."
"My tenant?"
"Yes," she said coldly,--"Mrs. Smithers."
She turned away, and walked in the direction of her home. She felt the
bitterest humiliation in speaking to the man she loved the name of the
woman of his relations to whom she dared not think.
"Wait," he said: "I am going with you."
A quick step placed him at her side; but she had averted her face. He
laid his hand upon her arm.
"Don't touch me!" she exclaimed, shaking off his fingers. "I will not
bear it. Take that will to her, and give her your congratulations."
"What?" he cried. "You have heard,--but you cannot have believed"--
"Believed!" she retorted fiercely. "I believe nothing but that she told
me"--
"What?" he demanded.
Before she could answer, Dr. Sanford's buggy rolled along towards them.
"Take me home, father," cried poor Patty.
And a moment later Tom Putnam was left alone.