But,taken as a whole, his narrative adhered closely
to the facts.
I thought I ought to see Myra and tellher first.
And he says he knows now that you have been workingagainst him all the time. Youll
be doing me a tremendous favor by taking the job. I did say it seemed tome that
Calvin Homer had played a mean trick; I meant it.
The idea was to wait and see howBartlett made
out.
But she, apparently, was notfinished with the
subject. Ofcourse you wouldnt believe it, or understand, but it is the truth.
Hammond had driven back to Orham immediately after leaving hispassenger. It seemed
to me the squarer thing todo, to tell her how I felt instead of writing
it.
As your engagement to MyraFuller just happened. He
is not the kind of man to do a mean thing.
Superintendent Kellogg put me in charge
temporarily. He went on talking, but, if she heard, she had no comment to
make.
I cant think Cal would do a thing
likethat.
Come to think of it, observed Josh, Seleucus does
look like adog. That she could have heardthe story already, from another, did not
enter his mind. He must be dreadfully sick, ever so much moreso than I thought. I
guess Homer is popular enough, so far as that goes.
I did say it seemed tome that Calvin Homer had
played a mean trick; I meant it. I always used to like him, same aseverybody else
did.
Yes, if that was all, Calvin wouldbe the most
popular man in the township limits. No, if I wasyou, I wouldnt go nigh him now.
Homer to take command during his sickness. And I swear I aint nevergive her no
cause, plaintively.
Youre the last man twould dohim any good to
see.
She gets worse andworse that way, Jemima does,
seems so. Then, with her chin upon her hands,she looked at him fixedly. Of course it
doesnt rest altogether with him. As I told you, Id have sworn he was straight as a T
squareif I hadnt found out how he treated Myra.
There was a flash in her eyes and a crispness in
her voice as sheasked her next question.
Theycalled her and Bartlett to supper, but neither
heeded the call. Itold her Id like to do all I could to help her through hertrouble,
but she wouldnt take my help.
Through the glass he saw Norma on theseat beside
the driver. Are you going to give him a chance to explain? Ofcourse you wouldnt
believe it, or understand, but it is the truth.
But her strange behaviortoward him made the telling
appear more difficult than ever.
That she could have heardthe story already, from
another, did not enter his mind.