She began to
walk away, but he called her back.
"Oh, how do you think your mother is today?" he asked. "Do you know,
her condition seems to me quite serious at times. I wonder if you
are overanxious?"
"She is better--much better!" Ella answered, and added with a sudden
burst of fiercest, white-hot passion: "But I think it would be better
if we had both died before we met you."
She hurried away, for she was afraid of breaking down, and Deede
Dawson smiled the more as he again turned his attention to his
chessmen, taking them up and putting them down in turn.
"She's turning nasty," he mused. "I don't think she'll dare--but
she might. She's only a pawn, but a pawn can cause a lot of trouble
at times--a pawn may become a queen and give the mate. When a pawn
threatens trouble it's best to--remove it."
He went out and came back a little late and busied himself with a
four-move chess problem which absorbed all his attention, and which
he did not solve to his satisfaction till past midnight. Then he
went upstairs to bed, but at the door of his room he paused and went
on very softly up the narrow stairs that led to the attics above.
Outside the one in which Dunn slept, he waited a little till the
unbroken sound of regular breathing from within assured him that
the occupant slept.
Cautiously and carefully he crept on, and entered the one adjoining,
where he turned the light of the electric flashlight he carried on a
large, empty packing-case that stood in one corner.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166