Nedra

  CHAPTER XXXIV

  _THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE_

  Ridgeway had been directed to the home of Mr. Henry Coleman. He wasnever able to describe his emotions as he drove through the streetstoward that most important place in all the world at that hour. The cabdrew up in front of the rather pretentious home and he stepped forth,dazed and uncertain, his knees stiff, his eyes set. Had some one shouted"Run!" he would have fled with his resolution.

  Every window in the home seemed to present Grace Vernon's glad face tohis misty eyes; she was in there somewhere, he knew, waiting as she hadbeen waiting for a whole year.

  Slowly he mounted the steps and stood before the screen door. After whatseemed an hour of deliberation, during which he sought to resurrect thecourage that had died, he timidly tapped on the casement with hisknuckles. The sound could not have been heard ten feet, yet to him itwas loud enough to wake people blocks away. There was no response andhis heart, in its cowardice, took a hopeful bound. No one at home! Heturned to leave the place, fearing that some one might appear to admithim before he could retreat. At the top of the steps he paused,reasoning that if no one was at home he could at least rap again. Hisconscience would be easier for the extra effort. He rapped once more,quite boldly. A man appeared in the doorway so suddenly that he caughthis breath and put out his hand to steady himself.

  The screen flew open and Henry Veath grasped him by the arms, fairlydragging him into the hallway.

  "Hugh! Hugh! Is it really you?" For a moment he stood like one suddenlygone mad.

  "Henry, I can't believe it!" gasped Ridgeway. Both of them stood lookingat one another for more than a full minute. "What a wonderful escape!"fell hazily from the newcomer's stiff lips.

  "How did you escape?" cried the other in the same breath. Pale as ghoststhey wrung each other's hands spasmodically, dazed and bewildered.

  "Where is Grace?" demanded Hugh.

  "She is out just at present," said the other slowly and with an effort."Come in and sit down. She will be here presently." He staggered as hedrew back.

  "Has--has my sister given up all hope of ever seeing me again?" saidRidgeway. Their hands were still clasped.

  "Miss Vernon feared that you were lost, Hugh," said Veath. A coldperspiration was showing itself on his brow. "She has told me all. Howill and white you look. Sit down here and I'll get you some wine."

  "Never mind, old man. I'm well enough. When will she return? Greatheaven, man, I can't wait!" He sank limply into a chair. Hiscompanion's heart was freezing.

  "Be calm, old friend. She shall be sent for at once."

  "Break it to her gently, Veath, break it to her gently," murmured Hugh.

  Veath excused himself and left the room. In the hall, out of Hugh'ssight, he stopped, clenched his hands, closed his eyes and shivered asif his blood had turned to ice. Presently he returned to the room,having gone no farther than the hall.

  "I have sent for her," he said in a strange voice.

  Grace was coming down stairs when Veath admitted Hugh. Startled andalmost completely prostrated, she fell back, where Veath found her whenhe went to announce the news. Finally, with throbbing heart, she creptto the curtain that hung in the door between the parlors and peeredthrough at the two men. Ridgeway was standing in the centre of the room,nervously handling a book that lay on the table. His face was white andhaggard; his tall, straight figure was stooped and lifeless. Veath stoodon the opposite side of the table, just as pale and just as discomposed.

  "Does she often speak of me?" she heard Hugh ask hoarsely. The other didnot answer at once.

  "Frequently, Hugh, of course," he said finally.

  "And--do--you--think she--she loves me as much as ever?" There was fearin his voice; but poor Grace could only distinguish pathetic eagerness.Veath was silent, his hands clasped behind his back, his throat closedas by a vise. "Why don't you answer? Does she still love me?"

  Grace glanced at the drawn face of Henry Veath and saw there thestruggle that was going on in his mind. With a cry she tore aside thecurtains and rushed into the room, confronting the questioner and thequestioned.

  "Grace!" gasped the former, staggering back as if from the effect of amighty blow. Through his dizzy brain an instant later shot the necessityfor action of some kind. There stood Grace, swaying before him, ready tofall. She loved him! He must clasp her to his heart as if he loved her.This feeble impulse forced him forward, his arms extended. "Don't beafraid, dear. I am not a ghost!"

  Veath dropped into a chair near the window, and closed his eyes, hisears, his heart.

  "Oh, Hugh, Hugh," the girl moaned, putting her hands over her face, evenas he clasped her awkwardly, half-heartedly in his arms. He was sayingdistressedly to himself: "She loves me! I cannot break her heart!"

  Neither moved for a full minute, and then Hugh drew her hands from hereyes, his heart full of pity.

  "Grace, look at me," he said. "Are you happy?"

  Their eyes met and there was no immediate answer. What each saw in theeyes of the other was strange and puzzling. She saw something likehopeless dread, struggling to suppress itself beneath a glassy film; hesaw pitiful fear, sorrow, shame, everything but the glad lovelight hehad expected. If their hearts had been cold before, they werefreezing now.

  "Happy?" she managed to articulate. "Happy?"

  "Yes, happy," he repeated as witlessly.

  "Don't look at me, Hugh. Don't! I cannot bear it," she wailedfrantically, again placing her hands over her eyes. His arms droppedfrom their unwilling position and he gasped in amazement.

  "What is it, Grace? What is the matter? What is it, Veath?" he gasped.She sank to her knees on the floor and sobbed.

  "Oh, Hugh! I am not worthy to be loved by you." He tried to lift her toher feet, absolutely dumb with amazement. "Don't! Don't! Let me lie heretill you are gone. I can't bear to have you see my face again.

  "Grace!" he cried blankly.

  "Oh, if I had been drowned this could have been avoided. Why don't yousay something, Henry? I cannot tell him." Veath could only shake hishead in response to Ridgeway's look of amazed inquiry.

  "Is she mad?" groaned the returned lover.

  "Mad? No, I am not mad," she cried shrilly, desperately. "Hugh, I know Iwill break your heart, but I must tell you. I cannot deceive you. Icannot be as I once was to you."

  "Cannot be--deceived me--once was--" murmured he, bewildered.

  "While I mourned for you as dead I learned to love another. Forgive me,forgive me!" It was more than a minute before he could grasp the fullextent of her confession and he could not believe his ears.

  Gradually his mind emerged from its oblivion and the joy that rushed tohis heart passed into every vein in his body. At his feet the unhappygirl; at the window the rigid form of the man to whom he knew her lovehad turned; in the centre of this tableau he stood, his head erect, hislungs full, his face aglow.

  "Say you will forgive me, Hugh. You would not want me, knowing what youdo."

  "For Heaven's sake, Hugh," began Veath; but the words choked him.

  "So you love another," said Hugh slowly, and cleverly concealing hiselation at the unexpected change in the situation. He was not without asense of humor, and forgetting, for the moment, the seriousness of herrevelation, he could not resist the temptation to play the martyr.

  "My dear girl," he went on with mock gravity, "I would sacrifice my lifeto see you happy! Whoever he may be, I give you to him. Be happy,Grace;" and with decided histrionic ability concluded heart-brokenly:"Forget Hugh Ridgeway!"

  A portrait of a buxom lady hanging on the wall received the full benefitof his dejected glance; and she could have told the unhappy lovers thatthe wretched man had winked at her most audaciously.

  "When are you to be married?" he resumed solemnly.

  "To-night," she choked out, then added quickly:

  "But I won't, Hugh--I won't marry him if you say--"

  "Not for the world! You must marry him, Grace, and I'll bless you," heinterrupted quickly, even
eagerly. Then there came a new thought: "Tellme truly, do you love him better than you loved me?"

  "I love him better than the world!"

  "Thank God!" exclaimed the discarded lover devoutly. "Give me your hand,Henry, old man--there is no one in all the world whom I'd rather see gether than you. You saved her and you deserve her. Take her and be good toher, that's all I ask; and think of me once in a while, won't you?you? Good-by."

  Without waiting for an answer he broke away, as if starting for thehall.

  "Please don't go away like that!"

  The cry of anguish came from Grace, and she threw herself sobbing onVeath's breast.

  Hugh turned like a flash. Contrition and the certainty of his power todispel her grief showed plainly in his face.

  "Don't cry, Grace dear," he begged, going over to them. "I was onlyfooling, dear. I'm not a bit unhappy." Grace looked up wonderingly athim through her tears. "You must take me for a brute," he stumbled onpenitently. "You see--you see--er--the fact is, I'm in love myself." Hedid not know he could be so embarrassed. Veath actually staggered, andthe girl's tear-stained face and blinking eyes were suddenly liftedfrom the broad breast, to be turned, in mute surprise, upon the speaker.

  "What did you say?" she gasped.

  "I'm in love--the very worst way," he hurried on, fingering his cap.

  "And not with me?" she cried, as if it were beyond belief.

  "Well, you see, I--I thought you were drowned--couldn't blame me forthat, could you? So--I--she was awfully good and sweet and--by George!I'd like to know how a fellow could help it! You don't know how happy Iam that you are in love with Veath, and you don't know how happy it willmake her. We were to have been married a week ago but--" he gulped andcould not go on.

  Grace's eyes were sparkling, her voice was trembling with joy as shecried, running to his side:

  "Is it really true--really true? Oh, how happy I am! I was afraid youwould--"

  "And I was equally afraid that you might--Whoop!" exploded Hugh, unableto restrain his riotous glee a second longer. Clasping her in his arms,he kissed her fervently; and all three joining hands, danced about theroom like children, each so full of delight that there was no possiblemeans of expressing it, except by the craziest of antics.

  "But who is she?" broke out Grace excitedly, as soon as she could catchher breath.

  "And where is she--can't we see her?" put in Veath, slapping Hughinsanely on the back.

  "She's a goddess!" burst out Hugh, grabbing his cap and running out ofthe room, shouting hilariously: "Follow on, both of you, to the hotel,and see me worship at her shrine!"