"It went all right, I think, Fred."
"Yes," he said absently. "Go on out, Alice. I'll let you come back in a
few minutes."
He waited until the door closed.
"What's the matter?" she asked rather indifferently. "If it's more
quarreling in the company I don't want to hear it. I'm tired." Then she
took a full look at him, and sat up.
"Fred! What is it?"
He gave her the truth, brutally and at once.
"I think Judson Clark was in the house to-night."
"I don't believe it."
"Neither would I, if somebody told me," he agreed sullenly. "I saw
him. Don't you suppose I know him? And if you don't believe me, call
Saunders. I got him out front. He knows."
"You called Saunders!"
"Why not? I tell you, Bev, I was nearly crazy. I'm nearly crazy now."
"What did Saunders say?"
"If he didn't know Clark was dead, he'd say it was Clark."
She was worried by that time, but far more collected than he was. She
sat, absently tapping the shelf with a nail file, and reflecting.
"All right," she said. "Suppose he was? What then? He has been in hiding
for ten years. Why shouldn't he continue to hide? What would bring him
out now? Unless he needed money. Was he shabby?"
"No," he said sulkily. "He was with a girl. He was dressed all right."
"You didn't say anything, except to Saunders?"
"No I'm not crazy."
"I'd better see Joe," she reflected. "Go and get him, Fred. And tell
Alice she needn't wait."
She got up and moved about the room, putting things away and finding
relief in movement, a still beautiful woman, with rather accentuated
features and an easy carriage. Without her make-up the stage illusion
of her youth was gone, and she showed past suffering and present strain.
Just then she was uneasy and resentful, startled but not particularly
alarmed. Her reason told her that Judson Clark, even if he still lived
and had been there that night, meant to leave the dead past to care for
itself, and wished no more than she to revive it. She was surprised to
find, as she moved about, that she was trembling.
Her brother came back, and she turned to meet him. To her surprise he
was standing inside the door, white to the lips and staring at her with
wild eyes.