The Place of Honeymoons - Page 117/123

It was not so easy returning. He ran into his wife. He tried to dodge her,

but without success.

"James, where did you get that black eye?" tragically.

"It's a daisy, ain't it, Molly?" pushing past her into Nora's room and

closing the door after him.

"Father!"

"That you, Nora?" blinking.

"Father, if you have been fighting with him, I'll never forgive you."

"Forget it, Nora. I wasn't fighting. I only thought I was."

He raised the lid of the trunk and cast in the gloves haphazard. And then

he saw the paper which had fallen out. He picked it up and squinted at it,

for he could not see very well. Nora was leaving the room in a temper.

"Going, Nora?"

"I am. And I advise you to have your dinner in your room."

Alone, he turned on the light. It never occurred to him that he might be

prying into some of Nora's private correspondence. He unfolded the

parchment and held it under the light. For a long time he stared at the

writing, which was in English, at the date, at the names. Then he quietly

refolded it and put it away for future use, immediate future use.

"This is a great world," he murmured, rubbing his ear tenderly.