The Golden Slipper | Page 8

fall her
partially uplifted hands. The cheery sound of men's voices had drifted

in from the terrace, and the figure of Captain Holliday could be seen
passing by. The shudder which shook Caroline West communicated
itself to Alicia Driscoll, and the former rising quickly, the two women
surveyed each other, possibly for the first time, with open soul and a
complete understanding.
"Caroline!" murmured the one.
"Alicia!" pleaded the other.
"Caroline, trust me," said Alicia Driscoll in that moving voice of hers,
which more than her beauty caught and retained all hearts. "You have
served me ill, but it was not all undeserved. Girls," she went on, eyeing
both them and her father with the wistfulness of a breaking heart,
"neither Caroline nor myself are worthy of Captain Holliday's love.
Caroline has told you her fault, but mine is perhaps a worse one. The
ring--the scarf--the diamond pins--I took them all--took them if I did
not retain them. A curse has been over my life--the curse of a longing I
could not combat. But love was working a change in me. Since I have
known Captain Holliday--but that's all over. I was mad to think I could
be happy with such memories in my life. I shall never marry now--or
touch jewels again--my own or another's. Father, father, you won't go
back on your girl! I couldn't see Caroline suffer for what I have done.
You will pardon me and help- -help--"
Her voice choked. She flung herself into her father's arms; his head
bent over hers, and for an instant not a soul in the room moved. Then
Miss Hughson gave a spring and caught her by the hand. "We are
inseparable," said she, and kissed the hand, murmuring, "Now is our
time to show it."
Then other lips fell upon those cold and trembling fingers, which
seemed to warm under these embraces. And then a tear. It came from
the hard eye of Caroline, and remained a sacred secret between the two.
"You have your pendant?"
Mr. Driscoll's suffering eye shone down on Violet Strange's uplifted

face as she advanced to say good-bye preparatory to departure.
"Yes," she acknowledged, "but hardly, I fear, your gratitude."
And the answer astonished her.
"I am not sure that the real Alicia will not make her father happier than
the unreal one has ever done."
"And Captain Holliday?"
"He may come to feel the same."
"Then I do not quit in disgrace?"
"You depart with my thanks."
When a certain personage was told of the success of Miss Strange's
latest manoeuvre, he remarked: "The little one progresses. We shall
have to give her a case of prime importance next."
END OF PROBLEM I
PROBLEM II
THE SECOND BULLET
"You must see her."
"No. No."
"She's a most unhappy woman. Husband and child both taken from her
in a moment; and now, all means of living as well, unless some happy
thought of yours--some inspiration of your genius-- shows us a way of
re-establishing her claims to the policy voided by this cry of suicide."
But the small wise head of Violet Strange continued its slow shake of
decided refusal.

"I'm sorry," she protested, "but it's quite out of my province. I'm too
young to meddle with so serious a matter."
"Not when you can save a bereaved woman the only possible
compensation left her by untoward fate?"
"Let the police try their hand at that."
"They have had no success with the case."
"Or you?"
"Nor I either."
"And you expect--"
"Yes, Miss Strange. I expect you to find the missing bullet which will
settle the fact that murder and not suicide ended George Hammond's
life. If you cannot, then a long litigation awaits this poor widow, ending,
as such litigation usually does, in favour of the stronger party. There's
the alternative. If you once saw her-- "
"But that's what I'm not willing to do. If I once saw her I should yield to
her importunities and attempt the seemingly impossible. My instincts
bid me say no. Give me something easier."
"Easier things are not so remunerative. There's money in this affair, if
the insurance company is forced to pay up. I can offer you--"
"What?"
There was eagerness in the tone despite her effort at nonchalance. The
other smiled imperceptibly, and briefly named the sum.
It was larger than she had expected. This her visitor saw by the way her
eyelids fell and the peculiar stillness which, for an instant, held her
vivacity in check.
"And you think I can earn that?"

Her eyes were fixed on his in an eagerness as honest as it was
unrestrained.
He could hardly conceal his amazement, her desire was so evident and
the cause of it so difficult to understand. He knew she wanted
money--that was her