Part 52 (1/2)
”Do you see these seals?”
”Yes,” she whispered.
”Unbroken, are they not?”
”Yes,” again she a.s.sented faintly.
”Well, then, you know what is inside of them; I do not.”
”I?--” faltered Miriam. ”Why----”
Then followed a moment of racking suspense for all, except, perhaps, Murgatroyd.
”Mrs. Challoner,” he resumed, ”you told me once that there were eight hundred and sixty thousand dollars in negotiable securities in these boxes. If what you then said was true, there they are, coupons and all.”
”But, Mr. Murgatroyd,” protested Mrs. Challoner, ”you said that you did not have any money....”
Murgatroyd smiled.
”I spoke the truth. But you....” And now, to Challoner's great surprise, Murgatroyd fixed his eyes on him, and said in a voice that impressed them all the more, inasmuch as it was filled with a kindly confidence rather than with distrust:--
”There's eight hundred and sixty thousand dollars in those boxes, Challoner, belonging to your wife. Can you stand having it back again?”
Challoner looked puzzled; for as Miriam had told s.h.i.+rley, he had had no reason to believe that his wife's fortune had not all been spent by them. Slowly he began to understand, but he was too overcome to speak.
Presently he found his voice and said:--
”Can I stand----”
”Yes,” interrupted Murgatroyd, ”you know what money did for you before--what it led to--” He broke off abruptly, and turning to s.h.i.+rley he added: ”I told you once, Miss Bloodgood, that there was but one way to cure a bad millionaire, but one way to reform him, and that was to take away his millions. Well, I took away his!”
All eyes now rested on Challoner, who, oblivious to his surroundings, seemed lost in thought,--and who can tell what dreams may come to one suddenly lifted from the depths of poverty back again to affluence. But in any event, looking the prosecutor straight in the face he said in an easy, determined voice:--
”Billy Murgatroyd, a little while ago you asked whether I could stand having all this again; the past five years of my life is my answer to that.”
This reply brought to his wife's face a look of pride, and unconsciously she straightened up in her chair; while s.h.i.+rley sighed perceptibly.
”Laurie,” went on Murgatroyd, still probing, but not unkindly, ”what are you going to do with all this money?”
”You'll have to ask Miriam about that,” he returned quickly; and then with a charming smile, he added: ”I have learned that a man's mission is to make money, and a woman's....”
Suddenly, Challoner grew thoughtful again.
”To think of the time,” he said, half-aloud, ”that it took Miriam and me to save five hundred dollars!”
”That five hundred that you saved,” commented Murgatroyd solemnly, ”is worth more to you than all this eight hundred and sixty thousand.”
”There's no mistake about that either, Murgatroyd,” spoke up Challoner promptly; but bending over his wife, he added with a fascinating smile:--
”Miriam, you're going to let me build that hospital, aren't you?”