CHAPTER XXIV.
THE DISTRACTED WIFE.
The next morning, as Senator Hamblin entered the bank, Sargent handedhim two letters. Receiving them in silence, he went directly to hisprivate office, closed and locked the door, and seating himself at thedesk, seemed much troubled.
"I am playing a dangerous game, and wish I were well out of it.During the long, tedious night, sleep refused to relieve me of thatdreadful look of agony and despair that yesterday overshadowed Alden'scountenance. But can I do otherwise than try to prevent the crash thatwould ruin me and disgrace those dependent upon me? It is a desperategame, but I cannot retrace my steps. Let me look at these letters. Yes,here is one addressed to my daughter and another to the Alden girl. Icannot bear to open them, but must do so, for how else can I know hisdestination?"
For a moment he was silent, then quickly opening the letter addressed toBelle, and counting the sheets, he found there were six of them--justtwenty-four pages in all. Reading, he was soon interested in thecontents. Troubled thoughts running through his mind, he frequentlypassed his hand across his brow as if hiding the words from view.Before the letter was finished he was greatly agitated, and when all wasread, his head bowed upon the desk, sigh after sigh escaped him.
"What have I done? The writer of this letter would have made my daughtera kind and true husband. I will recall him--I must, for I cannot gofarther in this deception. Poor Belle! God pity her! I--her father--havebasely conspired to destroy her happiness. God! what a villain I am!"
He arose and paced the floor in terrible agony of conscience.
"I have added crime to cruelty, and my hand is plotting against twotrue and noble hearts. I will at once recall Alden, for Belle's letterreceived last evening informs me of her return home to-morrow. Whatsorrow awaits her! I must--I will make amends for all."
Resuming his seat, he was about to open the letter addressed to FannieAlden, when a rap at the door caused him to pause, and hastily slippingthe two letters into a private drawer, he arose, and opening the door,to his surprise he found himself face to face with Walter Mannis.
"Ah, Senator, how do you do? Glad to see you. You look surprised. Didn'texpect to see me to-day, eh?"
"No, I did not expect you, Mannis, but I am glad to see you. Walk in,and be seated."
Closing and locking the door, and resuming his chair, he said:
"Mannis, this is bad business. Yesterday I sent poor Alden away as if hewere a common thief. To-day I am a changed man and must give up thisbusiness, for it is a damnable scheme."
"Pshaw! Senator, you are only doing your duty; beside it is too late toturn back now. Tut, tut, man, another day will calm your mind and allwill be well."
"I suppose I am weak, but the scene I passed through yesterday has quiteunmanned me; I will soon throw off this spell, realizing now that onlythe successful development of our scheme will save us. But I was a foolto ever begin it."
Mannis, with his keen eye, saw that the veteran politician was reallymoved. He was astonished; what politician would not have been? But hedid not lose his wits; he said:
"The only thing necessary now is to prevent Alden's return. Of courseyou have intercepted his letters, for Sargent told me as I entered thebank that he handed you two this morning."
"Yes, I have them safe; but the counterfeiting and forging business mustfollow. When will bloodshed be added?"
The words were spoken in a desperate voice, so Mannis quickly replied:
"Come, Senator, put on your hat and let us walk over to my room at thehotel. You need fresh air and a glass of wine--then we will return hereand look further into this matter."
The Senator at first refused the invitation, but persuasion finally madehim yield, and the two men left the bank.
Returning an hour later, Senator Hamblin was in better spirits, thefresh air, together with several glasses of wine, having changed hiswhole demeanor. Despondency had given way to exuberance of spirits, andboth men were soon seated side by side, smoking cigars. Then GeorgeAlden's letters were brought from their hiding-place and examined,Mannis remarking:
"Well, he is a gushing youth if nothing else."
It being decided an answer must be sent Alden, Mannis, taking paper andpen, wrote as follows:
"CLEVERDALE, 187-.
"SIR: On receipt of your letter I immediately returned to Cleverdale. When I thought you an honest man, I respected and loved you, but your crime has aroused me from this dream. Never dare address me again, for I abhor a villain. BELLE HAMBLIN.
"To GEORGE ALDEN."
"There, Senator, have Sargent copy this--imitating your daughter'shandwriting--and mail it to the gusher. It will make him overflow withrhapsody--or profanity. Gracious! how I would like to see him when heruns his eyes over this _billet-doux_," and he ended his words with along, low whistle.
The interview was but a short one, and the two men shook hands. Mannis,while leaving the private office and passing into the bank, whispered toSargent:
"Come to my room at the hotel at noon, I wish to see you privately."
Promptly at noon Sargent entered the Cleverdale Hotel, and hastily goingto Mannis's room rapped at the door. A voice within calling out, "Comein," the teller entered the apartment, and Mannis rose to meet him.
"Sargent, the old man is faint-hearted, and if something is not done toprevent, he will have Alden back here."
"Yes, I noticed he looked like a sick man when he came to the bank thismorning. If he should repent, what would you and I do?"
"We must not give him a chance. Will you stand by me in this matter,Sargent? Remember, you are to be cashier."
"Stand by you? Yes, sir; I am with you and can take a hand in anythingyou suggest."
"Well, let's shake hands over that. Now let me whisper a few words inyour ear."
For five minutes the two men whispered together; then Sargent said:
"By thunder! I never thought of that--but I am your man--that will checkthings certain."
"Not a lisp of this," said Mannis; "but Saturday evening, at eighto'clock, meet me near the hollow road, and be sure to bring along thatsuit."
In another moment Mannis was alone, and an hour later, behind a span offleet horses, he was speeding over the road toward Havelock.
"The girl shall be mine," he said, "and the Senator's money will chip innicely to keep me afloat. But if he only knew I wanted his cash, evenmore than his pretty daughter, he would shut down on me. Chicken-heartedas a child, I am afraid he will repent, and try to undo the littlegame. I always took him for a man of pluck; but we will arrange thisbusiness, though. My eyes! how he will shake in his boots when Sargentand I get through with our part of this affair--and won't all Cleverdalebe excited? Whew! There'll be a first-class rumpus!"
The following day Mrs. Hamblin and Belle arrived at the Hamblin mansion;the husband and father was not there to receive them. Relievingthemselves of wraps, etc., they took their supper.
Belle with great impatience momentarily expected the arrival of GeorgeAlden. Eight, half-past eight, nine o'clock came, still the younghusband failed to appear.
"It is strange, mamma," said she. "I wrote him I would be here thisevening. Can he be sick? I will send Jane to his house--possibly he isthere."
Seating herself, she hastily wrote:
"DEAR GEORGE: "I am home. Come at once. "BELLE."
Summoning Jane, instructions concerning the note were given; in twentyminutes the faithful nurse returned and exclaimed:
"The house is dark, and no person there."
"No one there!" said Belle, in a trembling voice. "It is singularenough. He came home three days since. Where is Papa?--he can tell uswhether George has been at the bank. There must be something wrong."
"Be calm, my child," said her mother; "he will come soon--there is somegood reason for his absence. Perhaps he is at the bank with your father."
She immediately rang the bell, and Jane appeared.
"Tell James to go to the bank, and see if Papa is there. Also tell himto inquire if Mr. Alden is there. If Papa is alone, ask him if he willplease come home at once."
Half an hour later, James returned with the information that Mr. Hamblinwas alone at his office, and would be up soon. Belle was much agitated;her mother tried to quiet her, but without success. Shortly after,Senator Hamblin entered the house; Belle ran to meet him, but by hismanner she was conscious that something terrible had happened. Afterembracing his wife and daughter, the latter asked:
"Papa, where--is--is--George?"
Slow to answer, his hesitation only added to her agitation, for shecontinued:
"Oh, speak! What has happened?"
"My daughter, he is unworthy of you, he has proven himself a villain."
"Proven himself a villain! why, what do you mean? Answer me!" Her facebecame deathly pale, and she tottered as if about to fall.
"He has--I cannot speak it, for I am affected as never before--but youmust know the worst--George Alden has stolen five thousand dollars fromthe bank."
There was a wild shriek, and Belle fell sobbing into her mother's arms.
"It is--it is false! he never committed a crime." Rising quickly, withexcited voice she asked: "And--and where is he?"
"Alas, my child, he has absconded. I befriended him, making good theamount, and the crime is known only to the teller and myself."
"Father," exclaimed Belle, "this awful crime is yours, not his; you haveconspired to defame as pure a man as ever lived,--and _you have killedhis wife_."
"His wife! My God, Belle, what do you mean?"
"I mean that I am the wedded wife of George Alden, whom an unnaturalfather conspired to ruin, branding him as a criminal and sending himaway a fugitive. Oh, I see it all! Weak from his late illness, not ableto cope with villains, and left by me at the mercy of his persecutors,he is ruined, and I am murdered by--oh, God!--my father!"
The sorrow-stricken wife sobbed with intense agony; her proud sire stoodtrembling like a whipped cur. Approaching his wife, he said:
"Why was I not made aware of this marriage? I would have saved him fromflight, but now I am afraid it is too late. He--he--did not tell me ofthis."
"No, pledged not to reveal the marriage until my return, his fine senseof honor, together with his weak condition, made him keep the secret.But what is manliness, honor, or love to you? You drove him away!"replied Belle.
"I did not drive him away, the evidence of guilt caused his flight. Inot only made good the defalcation, but gave him money for necessaryexpenses. He made a fatal mistake in not informing me of this marriage;but I promise to recall him. I will do it at once. You must bear upuntil his return."
"Then you will restore him to me, and when he returns you will proclaimhis innocence?"
"Hope for the best, my child. You did wrong in keeping your marriagefrom me."
The family retired, but not to sleep. All the long night Belle lay uponher sleepless pillow, unable to drive the thought from her mind thather husband was suffering. In the bedchamber of her father there was norepose, for even a politician cannot always stifle conscience at will.The Senator ordered remorse to quit his presence, but as remorse wasnot in his pay, it refused to obey his mandate. The wretched man wouldwillingly have welcomed financial destruction, if thereby he could haverestored George Alden to his daughter. Solemnly pledging himself tomake restitution for the wrong he had done, he resolved on the morrowto write to George Alden, bidding him return. But he reckoned withouthis host, for Mannis and Sargent had not yet been interviewed by theirconsciences.
When, next morning, Senator Hamblin entered the breakfast-room, his faceshowed plainly the struggle through which he had passed. Inquiring forhis daughter, he was told by Mrs. Hamblin that she was sleeping soundly.
"Poor child, let her sleep. Would that she could enjoy an unbrokenslumber until the return of her husband."
At nine o'clock he went to the bank and found Sargent alone.
"Have you mailed the forged letter to Alden?" he asked.
"Yes, sir; it left this morning."
"I am sorry, for I am convinced I have done a great wrong. I have been afool--yes, worse than that, a villain--but I will recall him at once."
Sargent, conscious that his companion's mind had undergone a radicalchange, did not at first reply, but no other remark being made by thepresident, he finally said:
"Will it not be dangerous for him to return here? he might make it warmfor us."
"I care not; although there would be no danger. There are reasons why Idesire his immediate return. To-day is Friday--I will write to him atonce, and he can be here by the middle of next week."
As he entered his private office and closed the door behind him, Sargentlaughingly said to himself:
"Just as I expected--but we will nip this little game; for he has men,not a girl, to deal with now. We hold the trump cards and he will findhimself euchred."
One hour later Senator Hamblin passed into the banking room, and handedSargent a letter addressed, GEORGE HOWARD, CHICAGO, ILL., saying:
"Mail this at once. And do not be disappointed in this matter; if we canget Alden back again, I will make you a handsome present--I will remainhere while you are absent."
Sargent, leaving the bank, slipped the letter into his pocket.
"Lucky he sent me! I will take care of this for the present."
The Cleverdale Mystery; or, The Machine and Its Wheels: A Story of American Life Page 26