The Drums of Jeopardy - Page 126/202

"Kitty," he said, breaking the tableau, "what are you doing here?"

"You've been hurt! There is blood on you!"

"A trifling cut. But I'm hurt, nevertheless, that you should be so

thoughtless as to come here against my orders. It doesn't matter that

Karlov has given up the idea of having you followed. But for the sake

of us all you must be made to understand that we are dealing with high

explosives and poison gas. It's not what might happen to me or to Uncle

Sam's business. It's you. Any moment they may take it into their heads

to get at me and Hawksley through you. That's why we watch over you. You

don't want to see Hawksley done in, do you? It's real tragedy, Kitty,

and nobody can guess what the end is going to be."

Kitty's lip quivered. "Cutty, if you talk like that to me I shall cry."

"Good Lord, what about?"--bewildered.

"About everything. I've been on the verge of hysterics all day."

"Kitty, you poor child, what's happened?"

"Nothing--everything. Lonesome. When I saw all those mothers and wives

and sisters and sweethearts on the curb to-day, watching their boys

march by, it hit me hard. I was alone. Nobody. So please don't be cross

with me. I'm on the ragged edge. Silly, I know. But we women often go

to pieces over nothing, without any logical reason. Ready to face murder

and battle and sudden death; and then to blow up, as you men say it,

over nothing. I had to move, go somewhere, do something; so I came

here. But I came on--what do you call it?--official business. Here!" She

offered him the wallet.

"What's this?"

"Belongs to Johnny Two-Hawks. He hid it that night behind my flatirons

on the range. Why, Cutty, he's rich!"

"Did he show the contents?"

"Only the money and the bonds. He said if he had died the money and

bonds would have been mine.

"Providing Gregor was also dead." Cutty looked into the wallet, but

disturbed nothing. "I imagine these funds are actually Gregor's."

"He told me to give the wallet to you. And so I waited. I fell asleep.

So please don't scold me."

"I'm a brute! But it's because you've become so much to me that I was

angry. You're Tommy and Molly's girl, and I've got to watch out for you

until you reach some kind of a port."