The Sins of the Father: A Romance of the South
Page 10
CHAPTER IX
THE WORDS THAT COST
It was after midnight when Norton closed his desk and left for home.Bonfires were burning in the squares, bands were playing and hundreds ofsober, gray-haired men were marching through the streets, hand in hand withshouting boys, cheering, cheering, forever cheering! He had made threespeeches from the steps of the _Eagle and Phoenix_ building and the crowdsstill stood there yelling his name and cheering. Broad-shouldered, bronzedmen had rushed into his office one by one that night, hugged him and wrunghis hands until they ached. He must have rest. The strain had been terrificand in the reaction he was pitifully tired.
The lights were still burning in his wife's room. She was waiting with Cleofor his return. He had sent her the bulletins as they had come and she knewthe result of the election almost as soon as he. It was something veryunusual that she should remain up so late. The doctor had positivelyforbidden it since her last attack.
"Cleo and I were watching the procession," she exclaimed. "I never saw somany crazy people since I was born."
"They've had enough to drive them mad the past two years, God knows," heanswered, as his eye rested on Cleo, who was dressed in an old silk kimonobelonging to his wife, which a friend of her grandfather had sent her fromJapan.
She saw his look of surprise and said casually:
"I gave it to Cleo. I never liked the color. Cleo's to stay in the househereafter. I've moved her things from the servants' quarters to the littleroom in the hall. I want her near me at night. You stay so late sometimes."
He made no answer, but the keen eyes of the girl saw the silent rageflashing from his eyes and caught the look of fierce determination as hesquared his shoulders and gazed at her for a moment. She knew that he wouldput her out unless she could win his consent. She had made up her mind tofight and never for a moment did she accept the possibility of defeat.
He muttered an incoherent answer to his wife, kissed her good night, andwent to his room. He sat down in the moonlight beside the open window,lighted a cigar and gazed out on the beautiful lawn.
His soul raged in fury over the blind folly of his wife. If the devilhimself had ruled the world he could not have contrived more skillfully tothrow this dangerous, sensuous young animal in his way. It was horrible! Hefelt himself suffocating with the thought of its possibilities! He rose andpaced the floor and sat down again in helpless rage.
The door softly opened and closed and the girl stood before him in thewhite moonlight, her rounded figure plainly showing against the shimmeringkimono as the breeze through the window pressed the delicate silk againsther flesh.
He turned on her angrily:
"How dare you?"
"'How dare you?'"]
"Why, I haven't done anything, major!" she answered softly. "I just came into pick up that basket of trash I forgot this morning"--she spoke in low,lingering tones.
He rose, walked in front of her, looked her in the eye and quietly said:
"You're lying."
"Why, major----"
"You know that you are lying. Now get out of this room--and stay out of it,do you hear?"
"Yes, I hear," came the answer that was half a sob.
"And make up your mind to leave this place to-morrow, or I'll put you out,if I have to throw you head foremost into the street."
She took a step backward, shook her head and the mass of tangled red hairfell from its coil and dropped on her shoulders. Her eyes were watching himnow with dumb passionate yearning.
"Get out!" he ordered brutally.
A moment's silence and a low laugh was her answer.
"Why do you hate me?" she asked the question with a note of triumph.
"I don't," he replied with a sneer.
"Then you're afraid of me!"
"Afraid of you?"
"Yes."
He took another step and towered above her, his fists clenched and hiswhole being trembled with anger:
"I'd like to strangle you!"
She flung back her rounded throat, shook the long waves of hair down herback and lifted her eyes to his:
"Do it! There's my throat! I want you to. I wouldn't mind dying that way!"
He drew a deep breath and turned away.
With a sob the straight figure suddenly crumpled on the floor, a scarletheap in the moonlight. She buried her face in her hands, choked back thecries, fought for self-control, and then looked up at him through her eyeshalf blinded by tears:
"Oh, what's the use! I won't lie any more. I didn't come in here for thebasket. I came to see you. I came to beg you to let me stay. I watched youto-night when she told you that I was to sleep in that room there, and Iknew you were going to send me away. Please don't! Please let me stay! Ican do you no harm, major! I'll be wise, humble, obedient. I'll live onlyto please you. I haven't a single friend in the world. I hate negroes. Iloathe poor white trash. This is my place, here in your home, among thebirds and flowers, with your baby in my arms. You know that I love him andthat he loves me. I'll work for you as no one else on earth would. My handswill be quick and my feet swift. I'll be your slave, your dog--you can kickme, beat me, strangle me, kill me if you like, but don't send me away--I--Ican't help loving you! Please--please don't drive me away."
The passionate, throbbing voice broke into a sob and she touched his footwith her hand. He could feel the warmth of the soft, young flesh. Hestooped and drew her to her feet.
"Come, child," he said with a queer hitch in his voice, "you--you--mustn'tstay here another moment. I'm sorry----"
She clung to his hand with desperate pleading and pressed close to him:
"But you won't send me away?"
She could feel him trembling.
He hesitated, and then against the warning of conscience, reason, judgmentand every instinct of law and self-preservation, he spoke the words thatcost so much:
"No--I--I--won't send you away!"
With a sob of gratitude her head sank, the hot lips touched his hand, arustle of silk and she was gone.
And through every hour of the long night, maddened by the consciousness ofher physical nearness--he imagined at times he could hear her breathing inthe next room--he lay awake and fought the Beast for the mastery of life.