CHAPTER V
WITHIN an hour from the time Alfred had entered his office that morninghe was leaving it, in a taxi, with his faithful secretary at hisside, and his important papers in a bag at his feet. "Take me to theSherwood," he commanded the driver, "and be quick."
As they neared Alfred's house, Johnson could feel waves of increasinganger circling around his perturbed young employer and later when theyalighted from the taxi it was with the greatest difficulty that he couldkeep pace with him.
Unfortunately for Jimmy, the outer door of the Hardy apartment had beenleft ajar, and thus it was that he was suddenly startled from Zoie'sunwelcome embraces by a sharp exclamation.
"So!" cried Alfred, and he brought his fist down with emphasis on thecentre table at Jimmy's back.
Wheeling about, Jimmy beheld his friend face to face with him. Alfred'slips were pressed tightly together, his eyes flashing fire. It wasapparent that he desired an immediate explanation. Jimmy turned to theplace where Zoie had been, to ask for help; like the traitress that shewas, he now saw her flying through her bedroom door. Again he glanced atAlfred, who was standing like a sentry, waiting for the pass-word thatshould restore his confidence in his friend.
"I'm afraid I've disturbed you," sneered Alfred.
"Oh, no, not at all," answered Jimmy, affecting a careless indifferencethat he did not feel and unconsciously shaking hands with the waitingsecretary.
Reminded of the secretary's presence in such a distinctly family scene,Alfred turned to him with annoyance.
"Go into my study," he said. "I'll be with you presently. Here's yourlist," he added and he thrust a long memorandum into the secretary'shand. Johnson retired as unobtrusively as possible and the two oldfriends were left alone. There was another embarrassed silence whichJimmy, at least, seemed powerless to break.
"Well?" questioned Alfred in a threatening tone.
"Tolerably well," answered Jimmy in his most pleasant but slightlynervous manner. Then followed another pause in which Alfred continued toeye his old friend with grave suspicion.
"The fact is," stammered Jimmy, "I just came over to bring Aggie----" hecorrected himself--"that is, to bring Zoie a little message from Aggie."
"It seemed to be a SAD one," answered Alfred, with a sarcastic smile, ashe recalled the picture of Zoie weeping upon his friend's sleeve.
"Oh no--no!" answered Jimmy, with an elaborate attempt at carelessness.
"Do you generally play the messenger during business hours?" thunderedAlfred, becoming more and more enraged at Jimmy's petty evasions.
"Just SOMETIMES," answered Jimmy, persisting in his amiable manner.
"Jimmy," said Alfred, and there was a solemn warning in his voice,"don't YOU lie to me!"
Jimmy started as though shot. The consciousness of his guilt was strongupon him. "I beg your pardon," he gasped, for the want of anything moreintelligent to say.
"You don't do it well," continued Alfred, "and you and I are oldfriends."
Jimmy's round eyes fixed themselves on the carpet.
"My wife has been telling you her troubles," surmised Alfred.
Jimmy tried to protest, but the lie would not come.
"Very well," continued Alfred, "I'll tell you something too. I've donewith her." He thrust his hands in his pockets and began to walk up anddown.
"What a turbulent household," thought Jimmy and then he set out inpursuit of his friend. "I'm sorry you've had a misunderstanding," hebegan.
"Misunderstanding!" shouted Alfred, turning upon him so sharply that henearly tripped him up, "we've never had anything else. There was neveranything else for us TO have. She's lied up hill and down dale from thefirst time she clinched her baby fingers around my hand--" he imitatedZoie's dainty manner--"and said 'pleased to meet you!' But I've caughther with the goods this time," he shouted, "and I've just about gotHIM."
"Him!" echoed Jimmy weakly.
"The wife-stealer," exclaimed Alfred, and he clinched his fists inanticipation of the justice he would one day mete out to the despicablecreature.
Now Jimmy had been called many things in his time, he realised that hewould doubtless be called many more things in the future, but never bythe wildest stretch of imagination, had he ever conceived of himself inthe role of "wife-stealer."
Mistaking Jimmy's look of amazement for one of incredulity, Alfredendeavoured to convince him.
"Oh, YOU'LL meet a wife-stealer sooner or later," he assured him. "Youneedn't look so horrified."
Jimmy only stared at him and he continued excitedly: "She's had theeffrontery--the bad taste--the idiocy to lunch in a public restaurantwith the blackguard."
The mere sound of the word made Jimmy shudder, but engrossed in his owntroubles Alfred continued without heeding him.
"Henri, the head-waiter, told me," explained Alfred, and Jimmyremembered guiltily that he had been very bumptious with the fellow."You know the place," continued Alfred, "the LaSalle--a restaurant whereI am known--where she is known--where my best friends dine--where Henrihas looked after me for years. That shows how desperate she is. Shemust be mad about the fool. She's lost all sense of decency." And againAlfred paced the floor.
"Oh, I wouldn't go as far as that," stammered Jimmy.
"Oh, wouldn't you?" cried Alfred, again turning so abruptly that Jimmycaught his breath. Each word of Jimmy's was apparently goading him on togreater anger.
"Now don't get hasty," Jimmy almost pleaded. "The whole thing is nodoubt perfectly innocent. Talk to her gently. Win her confidence. Gether to tell you the truth."
"The truth!" shouted Alfred in derision. "Zoie! The truth!"
Jimmy feared that his young friend might actually become violent. Alfredbore down upon him like a maniac.
"The truth!" he repeated wildly. "She wouldn't know the truth if she sawit under a microscope. She's the most unconscionable little liar thatever lured a man to the altar."
Jimmy rolled his round eyes with feigned incredulity.
"I found it out before we'd been married a month," continued Alfred."She used to sit evenings facing the clock. I sat with my back to it.I used to ask her the time. Invariably she would lie half an hour,backward or forward, just for practice. THAT was the BEGINNING. Here,listen to some of these," he added, as he drew half a dozen telegramsfrom his inner pocket, and motioned Jimmy to sit at the opposite side ofthe table.
Jimmy would have preferred to stand, but it was not a propitious time toconsult his own preferences. He allowed himself to be bullied into thechair that Alfred suggested.
Throwing himself into the opposite chair, Alfred selected variousexhibits from his collection of messages. "I just brought these up fromthe office," he said. "These are some of the telegrams that she sent meeach day last week while I was away. This is Monday's." And he proceededto read with a sneering imitation of Zoie's cloy sweetness.
"'Darling, so lonesome without you. Cried all day. When are you cominghome to your wee sad wifie? Love and kisses. Zoie.'" Tearing thedefenceless telegram into bits, Alfred threw it from him and waited forhis friend's verdict.
"She sent that over the wire?" gasped Jimmy.
"Oh, that's nothing," answered Alfred. "That's a mild one." And heselected another from the same pocket. "Here, listen to this. This iswhat she REALLY did. This is from my secretary the same night."
"You spied upon her!" asked Jimmy, feeling more and more convinced thathis own deceptions would certainly be run to earth.
"I HAVE to spy upon her," answered Alfred, "in self-defence. It's theonly way I can keep her from making me utterly ridiculous." And heproceeded to read from the secretary's telegram. "'Shopped allmorning. Lunched at Martingale's with man and woman unknown tome--Martingale's,'" he repeated with a sneer--"'Motored through Parkwith Mrs. Wilmer until five.' Mrs. Wilmer," he exclaimed, "there's awoman I've positively forbidden her to speak to."
Jimmy only shook his head and Alfred continued to read.
"'Had tea with Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and young Ardesley at the
ParkView.' Ardesley is a young cub," explained Alfred, "who spends his timerunning around with married women while their husbands are away tryingto make a living for them."
"Shocking!" was the extent of Jimmy's comment, and Alfred resumedreading.
"'Dinner and theatre same party. Supper at Wellingford. Home two A. M.'"He looked at Jimmy, expecting to hear Zoie bitterly condemned. Jimmyonly stared at him blankly. "That's pretty good," commented Alfred, "forthe woman who 'CRIED' all day, isn't it?"
Still Jimmy made no answer, and Alfred brought his fist down upon thetable impatiently. "Isn't it?" he repeated.
"She was a bit busy THAT day," admitted Jimmy uneasily.
"The truth!" cried Alfred again, as he rose and paced about excitedly."Getting the truth out of Zoie is like going to a fire in the night. Youthink it's near, but you never get there. And when she begins by sayingthat she's going to tell you the 'REAL truth'"--he threw up his hands indespair--"well, then it's time to leave home."
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