Of course that's rot, but that's what they think. As for Mr. Mac
himself--"
"Is he still in love with you?"
At this moment a boy thrust his head in the door to say that Dr. Adair
had telephoned for Miss Molloy to come by the hospital before she
returned to Hillcrest.
Nance pulled on her gloves and, with chin in the air, was departing
without a word, when Dan stopped her.
"I'm sorry I spoke to you like that, Nance," he said, scowling at the
floor. "I've got no right to be asking you questions, or criticizing what
you do, or where you go. I hope you'll excuse me."
"You _have_ got the right!" declared Nance, with one of her quick changes
of mood. "You can ask me anything you like. I guess we can always be
friends, can't we?"
"No," said Dan, slowly, "I don't think we can. I didn't count on seeing
you like this, just us two together, alone. I thought you'd be married
maybe or moved away some place."
It was Nance's time to be silent, and she listened with wide eyes and
parted lips.
"I mustn't see you--alone--any more, Nance," Dan went on haltingly. "But
while we are here I want to tell you about it. Just this once, Nance, if
you don't mind."
He crossed over and stood before her, his hands gripping a chair back.
"When I went away from here," he began, "I thought you had passed me up
for Mac Clarke. It just put me out of business, Nance. I didn't care
where I went or what I did. Then one night in Cincinnati I met Birdie,
and she was up against it, too--and--"
After all he couldn't make a clean breast of it! Whatever he might say
would reflect on Birdie, and he gave the explanation up in despair.
Pages:
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324