Laura came over to where her husband lay, and sat by him, and took his head in her lap, smoothing his forehead with her long white hands.
“Oh, if I could only keep you like this always,” she murmured. “Keep you untroubled, and kind, and true. This is my husband again. Oh, you are a man, Curtis; a great, strong, kindhearted man, with no little graces, nor petty culture, nor trivial fine speeches, nor false sham, imitation polish. I love you. Ah, I love you, love you, dear!”
“Old girl!” said Jadwin, stroking her hand.
“Do you want me to read to you now?” she asked.
“Just this is pretty good, it seems to me.”
As he spoke, there came a step in the hall and a knock.
Laura sat up, frowning.
“I told them I was not to be disturbed,” she exclaimed under her breath. Then, “Come in,” she called.
“Mr. Gretry, sir,” announced the servant. “Said he wished to see you at once, sir.”
“Tell him,” cried Laura, turning quickly to Jadwin, “tell him you’re not at home—that you can’t see him.”
“I’ve got to see him,” answered Jadwin, sitting up. “He wouldn’t come here himself unless it was for something important.”
“Can I come in, J.?” spoke the broker, from the hall. And even through the thick curtains they could hear how his voice rang with excitement and anxiety.
“Can I come in? I followed the servant right up, you see. I know—”
“Yes, yes. Come in,” answered Jadwin. Laura, her face flushing, threw a fold of the couch cover over her costume as Gretry, his hat still on his head, stepped quickly into the room.
Jadwin met him halfway, and Laura from her place on the couch heard the rapidly spoken words between the general and his lieutenant.
“Now we’re in for it!” Gretry exclaimed.
“Yes—well?” Jadwin’s voice was as incisive and quick as the fall of an axe.
“I’ve just found out,” said Gretry, “that Crookes and his crowd are going to take hold tomorrow. There’ll be hell to pay in the morning. They are going to attack us the minute the gong goes.”
“Who’s with them?”
“I don’t know; nobody does. Sweeny, of course. But he has a gang back of him—besides, he’s got good credit with the banks. I told you you’d have to fight him sooner or later.”
“Well, we’ll fight him then. Don’t get scared. Crookes ain’t the Great Mogul.”
“Holy Moses, I’d like to know who is, then.”
“I am. And he’s got to know it. There’s not room for Crookes and me in this game. One of us two has got to control this market. If he gets in my way, by God, I’ll smash him!”
“Well, then, J., you and I have got to do some tall talking tonight. You’d better come down to the Grand Pacific Hotel right away. Court is there already. It was him, nervy little cuss, that found out about Crookes. Can you come now, at once? Good evening, Mrs. Jadwin. I’m sorry to take him from you, but business is business.”
No, it was not. To the wife of the great manipulator, listening with a sinking heart to this courier from the front, it was battle. The Battle of the Streets was again in array. Again the trumpet sounded, again the rush of thousands of feet filled all the air. Even here, here in her home, her husband’s head upon her lap, in the quiet and stillness of her hour, the distant rumble came to her ears. Somewhere, far off there in the darkness of the night, the great forces were manoeuvring for position once more. Tomorrow would come the grapple, and one or the other must fall—her husband or the enemy. How keep him to herself when the great conflict impended? She knew how the thunder of the captains and the shoutings appealed to him. She had seen him almost leap to his arms out of her embrace. He was all the man she had called him, and less strong, less eager, less brave, she would have loved him less.
Yet she had lost him again, lost him at the very moment she believed she had won him back.
“Don’t go, don’t go,” she whispered to him, as he kissed her goodbye. “Oh, dearest, don’t go! This was my evening.”
“I must, I must, Laura. Goodbye, old girl. Don’t keep me—see, Sam is waiting.”
He kissed her hastily twice.
“Now, Sam,” he said, turning toward the broker.
“Good night, Mrs. Jadwin.”
“Goodbye, old girl.”
They turned toward the door.
“You see, young Court was down there at the bank, and he noticed that checks—”
The voices died away as the hangings of the entrance fell to place. The front door clashed and closed.
Laura sat upright in her place, listening, one fist pressed against her lips.
There was no more noise. The silence of the vast empty house widened
