Then before the astonished woman in the bed could recover her senses from
this remarkable speech Elizabeth turned and walked majestically from the
room. She was slight and not very tall, but in the strength of her pride
and purity she looked almost majestic to the awestruck maid and the
bewildered woman.
* * * * * Down the stairs walked the girl, feeling that all the wide world was
against her. She would never again try to get a friend. She had not met a
friend except in the desert. One man had been good to her, and she had let
him go away; but he belonged to another woman, and she might not let him
stay. There was just one thing to be thankful for. She had knowledge of
her Father in heaven, and she knew what Christian Endeavor meant. She
could take that with her out into the desert, and no one could take it
from her. One wish she had, but maybe that was too much to hope for. If
she could have had a Bible of her own! She had no money left. Nothing but
her mother's wedding-ring, the papers, and the envelope that had contained
the money the man had given her when he left. She could not part with
them, unless perhaps some one would take the ring and keep it until she
could buy it back. But she would wait and hope.
She walked by the old butler with her hand on her pistol. She did not
intend to let any one detain her now. He bowed pleasantly, and opened the
door for her, however; and she marched down the steps to her horse. But
just as she was about to mount and ride away into the unknown where no
grandmother, be she Brady or Bailey, would ever be able to search her out,
no matter how hard she tried, the door suddenly opened again, and there
was a great commotion. The maid and the old butler both flew out, and laid
hands upon her. She dropped the bridle, and seized her pistol, covering
them both with its black, forbidding nozzle.
They stopped, trembling, but the butler bravely stood his ground. He did
not know why he was to detain this extraordinary young person, but he felt
sure something wrong. Probably she was a thief, and had taken some of
Madam's jewels. He could call the police. He opened his mouth to do so
when the maid explained.
"Madam wants you to come back. She didn't understand. She wants to see you
and ask about her son. You must come, or you will kill her. She has heart
trouble, and you must not excite her."
Elizabeth put the pistol back into its holster and, picking up the bridle
again, fastened it in the ring, saying simply, "I will come back."