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Page 38
"Tammany," he announced, "concedes the election of Jerome by
forty thousand votes, and that he carries his ticket with him.
Ernest Peabody is elected his Lieutenant-Governor by a
thousand votes. Ernest," he added, "seems to have had a close
call." There was a tremendous chorus of congratulations in
the cause of Reform. They drank the health of Peabody.
Peabody himself, on the telephone, informed Sam Forbes that a
conference of the leaders would prevent his being present with
them that evening. The enthusiasm for Reform perceptibly
increased.
An hour later Winthrop came over to Beatrice and held out his
hand. "I'm going to slip away," he said. "Good-night."
"Going away!" exclaimed Beatrice. Her voice showed such
apparently acute concern that Winthrop wondered how the best
of women could be so deceitful, even to be polite.
"I promised some men," he stammered, "to drive them down-town
to see the crowds."
Beatrice shook her head.
"It's far too late for that," she said. "Tell me the real
reason."
Winthrop turned away his eyes.
"Oh! the real reason," he said gravely, "is the same old
reason, the one I'm not allowed to talk about. It's cruelly
hard when I don't see you," he went on, slowly dragging out
the words, "but it's harder when I do; so I'm going to say
`good-night' and run into town."
He stood for a moment staring moodily at the floor, and then
dropped into a chair beside her.
"And, I believe, I've not told you," he went on, "that on
Wednesday I'm running away for good, that is, for a year or
two. I've made all the fight I can and I lose, and there is
no use in my staying on here to--well--to suffer, that is the
plain English of it. So," he continued briskly, "I won't be
here for the ceremony, and this is `good-by' as well as
`good-night.'"
"Where are you going for a year?" asked Miss Forbes.
Her voice now showed no concern. It even sounded as though
she did not take his news seriously, as though as to his
movements she was possessed of a knowledge superior to his
own. He tried to speak in matter-of-fact tones.
"To Uganda!" he said.
"To Uganda?" repeated Miss Forbes. "Where is Uganda?"
"It is in East Africa; I had bad luck there last trip, but now
I know the country better, and I ought to get some good
shooting."
Miss Forbes appeared indifferently incredulous. In her eyes
there was a look of radiant happiness. It rendered them
bewilderingly beautiful.
"On Wednesday," she said. "Won't you come and see us again
before you sail for Uganda?"
Winthrop hesitated.
"I'll stop in and say `good-by' to your mother if she's in
town, and to thank her. She's been awfully good to me. But
you--I really would rather not see you again. You understand,
or rather, you don't understand, and," he added vehemently,
"you never will understand." He stood looking down at her
miserably.
On the driveway outside there was a crunching on the gravel of
heavy wheels and an aurora-borealis of lights.
"There's your car," said Miss Forbes. "I'll go out and see
you off."
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