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Page 24
"I hope I'm not boring you." His frank gaze turned on her anxiously. "I
don't know what right I have to assume that the increase in the
Sunday-school, or even the new brass pulpit, is a fascinating subject to
you. I never did this before," he said, and there was something in his
voice which hindered the girl from answering his glance. But there was
no air of being bored about her, and he went on. "However, life isn't
all good luck. I had a serious blow just before I came down here--a
queer thing happened. I told you just now that all the large gifts to
St. John's had come from one man--a former parishioner. The man was
James Litterny, of the great firm of--Why, what's the matter--what is
it?" For Katherine had stopped short, in her fast, swinging walk, and
without a sound had swayed and caught at the wall as if to keep herself
from falling. Before he could reach her she had straightened herself and
was smiling.
"I felt ill for a second--it's nothing,--let's go along."
North made eager suggestions for her comfort, but the girl was firm in
her assertion, that she was now quite well, so that, having no sisters
and being ignorant that a healthy young woman does not, any more than a
healthy young man, go white and stagger without reason, he yielded, and
they walked briskly on.
"You were telling me something that happened to you--something connected
with Mr.--with the rich parishioner." Her tone was steady and casual,
but looking at her, he saw that she was still pale.
"Do you really want to hear my yarns? You're sure it isn't that which
made you feel faint--because I talked so much?"
"It's always an effort not to talk myself," she laughed up at him, yet
with a strange look in her eyes. "All the same, talk a little more.
Tell me what you began to tell about Mr. Litterny." The name came out
full and strong.
"Oh, that! Well, it's a story extraordinary enough for a book. I think
it will interest you."
"I think it will," Katherine agreed.
"You see," he went on, "Mr. Litterny promised us a new parish-house, the
best and largest practicable. It was to cost, with the lot, ten thousand
dollars. It was to be begun this spring. Not long before I came to
Bermuda, I had a note one morning from him, asking me to come to his
house the next evening. I went, and he told me that the parish-house
would have to be given up for the present, because the firm of Litterny
Brothers had just met with a loss, through a most skilful and original
robbery, of five thousand dollars."
"A robbery?" the girl repeated. "Burglars, you mean?"
"Something much more artistic than burglars. I told you this story was
good enough for a book. It's been kept quiet because the detectives
thought the chance better that way of hunting the thief to earth." (Why
should she catch her breath?) "But I'm under no promise--I'm sure I may
tell you. You're not likely to have any connection with the rascal."
Katherine's step hung a little as if she shrank from the words, but she
caught at a part of the sentence and repeated it, "'Hunting the thief to
earth'--you say that as if you'd like to see it done."
"I would like to see it done," said North, with slow emphasis. "Nothing
has ever more roused my resentment. I suppose it's partly the loss of
the parish-house, but, aside from that, it makes me rage to think of
splendid old James Litterny, the biggest-hearted man I know, being done
in that way. Why, he'd have helped the scoundrel in a minute if he'd
gone to him instead of stealing from him. Usually my sympathies are with
the sinner, but I believe if I caught this one I'd be merciless."
"Would you mind sitting down here?" Katherine asked, in a voice which
sounded hard. "I'm not ill, but I feel--tired. I want to sit here and
listen to the story of that unprincipled thief and his wicked robbery."
North was all solicitude in a moment, but the girl put him aside
impatiently.
"I'm quite right. Don't bother. I just want to be still while you talk.
See what a good seat this is."
Over the russet sand of the dunes the sea flashed a burning blue;
storm-twisted cedars led a rutted road down to it; in the salt air the
piny odor was sharp with sunlight. Katherine had dropped beneath one of
the dwarfed trees, and leaning back, smiled dimly up at him with a
stricken face which North did not understand.
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