Part 29 (1/2)
The strange look in his facetwo chairs close to the table ”There's so to talk about It was a terribly close shave, wasn't it?”
”An awful close shave, Johnny As close a shave as ever was”
Still, as if not quite understanding what he saw, old Donald was staring into John's face
”I'lad it happened,” said Aldous, and his voice became softer ”She loves ht ere going to die Not ten o the minister was here, and heto the old e, cold, tense look in the face of John Aldous
”And in the last five minutes,” continued Aldous, as quietly as before, ”I have learned that Mortih, her husband, is not dead Is it very remarkable that you do not find o----”
”Oh, my God! Johnny! Johnny!”
MacDonald had pitched forward over the table, and now he bowed his great shaggy head in his hands, and his gaunt shoulders shook as his voice cah his beard
”I did it, Johnny; I did it for you an' her! When I knehat it would mean for her--I _couldn't_, Johnny, I couldn't tell her the truth, 'cause I knew she loved you, an' you loved her, an' it would break her heart I thought it would be best, an' you'd go away together, an' nobody would ever know, an' you'd be happy I didn't lie I didn't say anything But Johnny--Johnny, _there weren't no bones in the grave!_”
”My God!” breathed Aldous
”There were just some clothes,” went on MacDonald huskily, ”an' the watch an' the ring were on top Johnny, there weren't nobody ever buried there, an' I'm to blame--I'm to blame”
”And you did that for us,” cried Aldous, and suddenly he reached over and gripped old Donald's hands ”It wasn't a mistake, Mac I thank God you kept silent If you had told her that the grave was empty, that it was a fraud, I don't knoould have happened And now--she is _mine!_ If she had seen Culver Rann, if she had discovered that this scoundrel, this blackh, her husband----”
”Johnny! John Aldous!”
Donald MacDonald's voice ca roar of a she-bear, and as he cried the other's nalea fires
”Johnny!”
Aldous rose, and he was s He nodded
”That's it,” he said ”Mortih is Culver Rann!”
”An'--an' you know this?”
”Absolutely Joanne gave raph to destroy I am sorry that I burned it before you saw it But there is no doubt Mortih and Culver Rann are the same man”
Slowly the old mountaineer turned to the door Aldous was ahead of him, and stood with his hand on the knob
”I don't want you to go yet, Mac”
”I--I'll see you a little later,” said Donald clumsily
”Donald!”
”Johnny!”