"You're a cold-blooded devil."
"Really!" She raised her eyebrows, tauntingly, at him.
"Oh, you'd drive a fellow mad!" He made a grab at her.
"Please, John," she commanded; 'not here. I have told you . not here 1' "Hell!" He turned from her and flung out of the room.
Stella listened to him stamping across the hall. The front-door banged, and she went to the window and watched him stride away down the garden. She stood, biting her lip with vexation.
Something must be done, and at once . things seemed to be getting swiftly out of hand. Why had she gone so far with him, anyway? she wondered. Why had she started it? She had never intended it to reach this stage. In the beginning she had used him to play off Herbert, who was demanding too much. But she had found John wasn't like Herbert, she couldn't keep him in line at all. The week-ends they spent together were nerve racking and exhausting; she had been made aware that Rodney, even in his passion, had been tender; and now John was proposing divorce, and marriage to him . a struggling doctor, with not a penny behind him; it was ridiculous.
Stella admitted to herself that she had been foolish, very foolish, but whatever happened there must be no divorce. The Hannigan girl would have to be dealt with; she should have done it months ago, when that old ;
hag had brought her those letters.
Her face stiffened at the thought of them, and jealously rose in her like a corroding acid. To think Rodney would write letters like that to a maid! Of course, she admitted, she had herself to blame, she had played him too tightly.
She wondered if she could regain her lost ground. He would be sick, and would doubtless respond to sweetness. She would devote herself to him; it wouldn't be her fault if she failed to establish at least a friendly footing. She still hated him, and desired nothing but to humiliate him for his spurning of her that memorable Christmas Eve.
Well, the opportunity might yet come. But, in the meantime, if she didn't want a terrific scandal and wished to keep her head above the social waters, then Rodney was her only hope. But the Hannigan girl must be dealt with at once, she must be placed out of his reach.
She went to her desk and unlocked a drawer, and took out a bundle of letters. She fingered them as though they scorched her flesh.
Why, she wondered, did that old hag hate Rodney so? She evidently did, to go to the lengths she had in stealing these letters; her tale that she had found them in the street was paltry.
Stella felt that she had made a mistake in paying for them. Yet the old witch had played her nicely, leaving her no other way of getting them. And, although she had dismissed her some time ago, she wondered whether she had seen the last of her. Still, she had provided the means of putting the Hannigan girl where she wanted her; and she must lose no further time in doing it.
Annie was playing at the corner of the street; she stood in a circle with other children, all hopping from one foot to the other to keep warm. A child in the centre stabbed a finger at each in turn, shouting:
"Iccle occle, black bottle, Fishes in the sea, If you want a pretty girl, Please choose ... me!"
Annie knew that the first stab could be regulated to choose whichever one you liked. The unfairness of the system did not trouble her; she felt gloriously happy . the sun was shining, the frost was sparkling, it was Christmas Eve and she was going to hang up her stocking, she had a secret present for Kate . and oh! oh! oh 1 the doctor was coming home, the doctor was coming home, the doctor was coming home . she beat out each word with her hopping feet.
Everything was lovely and bright and shiny, Kate was lovely and bright and shiny. She sang all day. They both sang together in the kitchen at night, and Mrs. Mullen knocked on the wall at them, and they laughed because they knew it was only in tun. Oh, they were so happy I They missed grandma at times, but she had been so happy before she died that you did not feel sorry for her now . it made you feel she had gone straight to Heaven like that . nice and happy. Oh, wasn't everything lovely! No gran da no more carrying washing tor Kate went out to work now, most days, and the doctor, doctor, doctor was coming, coming back! She was still bopping when the circle broke up.
"Count a hundred before you look, mind, Jinnie Taylorl' a little girl was admonished, Jinnie turned her face to the wall and started to count quickly in a loud voice.
Annie dashed into the main road, she knew a lovely place to hide. It was then she saw the car. It was gliding slowly forward and the chauffeur was looking up' at the names of the streets. A woman in the back leaned forward and spoke to him; and Annie stopped running for a second. Turning, she dashed back the way she had come.
Running up the street, she knew that the car had turned the corner and was behind her. It was almost upon her when she reached the door. As she thrust open the door the car stopped. She ran into the kitchen, whispering hoarsely, "Kate Katel' Kate was not there, so she dashed into
