Fighting Byng Part 26

"Yes; he will be there, too, and also remember to talk to no one about this matter; the school authorities understand. It is nearly time for me to go and I must see the registrar and bid her good-bye," I said, leading her out of the office into a sort of a big hall or rotunda.

She ran at once to someone across the big room who had apparently been hovering about waiting for her and who scanned me mercilessly. I knew instantly it was the teacher to whom she referred so often, and the sight of her made my heart jump.

"Yes," said the registrar when I found him, "I will send her down any time you want her with this teacher who, under my instructions, has shared her room ever since she came. They have grown to be great friends; she is perfectly safe with her."

CHAPTER x.x.x

The case of "The United States _vs._ Ramund, _et al._," crawled up slowly on the trial calendar until the work of getting the jury began--three days before Christmas. I wired Howard when to be there, and made arrangements at the Waldorf Hotel for him, also little Jim and her escort, and sent for them as soon as I thought the jury would be completed.

The two suites I engaged at the hotel were entered from a wing off the main hall on that floor. A big front one for little Jim and her escort, a smaller one across the hall I occupied until Howard came. A maid I brought in saw to it that our witness was not molested.

The jockeying of the defense for time disgusted the court and everyone else, though it suited me because our star witness, Howard, was delayed. I knew little Jim had arrived, but did not actually see her for reasons that will appear.

Howard did not arrive until the afternoon before Christmas, with the defense still obstructing the progress of the trial. Pushed hard late in the afternoon they admitted they could not produce a single one of the defendants. Their bonds were immediately declared forfeited, and court adjourned for the holidays. I had to attend to some detail. I told Howard to go to the hotel and get cleaned up. I would meet him there soon. He misunderstood me and before I knew it was a.s.signed rooms in another part of the hotel. Then I went for the first time to see little Jim, ostensibly to tell her that she would not have to appear as a witness.

She came to the door at my ring and was very much delighted to see me, leading me to her teacher and escort in the front room of the suite and introducing me with polite formality.

Her teacher started visibly at her clear p.r.o.nunciation of the name and asked me to be seated, her eyes trying to penetrate my incongruous appearance.

"I--I once knew a Mr. Wood, but it is a long time since I have seen him. It--it can't be that you--that you know him--I should like very much to see him," she said, glancing with a sort of affectionate apprehension at little Jim, who stood near me.

"Perhaps fifteen years of wear and tear has been more severe on me than it has on yourself. It has laid a kindly hand on you, but if you can imagine me as divested of this ancient coat and transfer these whiskers to the bare spot on my head it may help you some," I said, trying to get into lighter vein.

"Then you are----" she hesitated, almost devouring me with her astonished eyes, "can it be possible you are the Mr. Wood I once knew, the friend----"

"Yes; quite the same," I interrupted, in order to allow her plenty of time in which to control herself.

"Have you--have you any news? I should like to see you alone, Mr.

Wood," she requested, looking at little Jim in a frightened way.

"It isn't necessary. This little girl and I are very good friends. She can hear everything. In fact, I want her to," I replied, drawing little Jim down on a ha.s.sock beside me, "I have important news for you," I added, looking full at the wonderful, sweet, earnest and time-refined Norma Byng.

"Tell me--tell me quickly. I don't care if the whole world hears--is he alive and--is he well?" she asked excitedly, her bosom rising spasmodically with the deep breathing of intense excitement.

"Yes, I will tell you, but you must be calm, and control yourself. You may be put to a terrible test with the possibility of failure. And you, little girl, must pay close attention and not miss a single word," said I, laying my hand on little Jim's shoulder, who was wide-eyed in wonder at the turn of things.

"Your husband, Howard, has returned after having completely rehabilitated his magnificent self in all ways. He has even regained control of his property, his plant in Georgia, and completely recovered from a state of practical insanity that held him for several years--but he has not recovered wholly from the shock given him by this man Ramund----"

"And he still believes that I--oh, what shall I do! There has never been a moment that I have not loved him and would now willingly give my life--but my child, my little Norma, what of her? I have lived in constant hope she would be restored to me."

"About two years ago in the course of my employment I learned where you were. Afterward I found Howard and little Jim. She had to go to school, so I conceived and was able to carry out a quiet or rather a deceptive plan to bring all three of you together. You have had your child in your care for more than four months. Little Jim, this is your mother, of whom you wanted me to tell you," I said, raising her to her feet for Norma Byng to embrace pa.s.sionately in a flood of tears.

"I knew it--I felt it! From the moment I saw her first I felt a bond; we have loved each other deeply without knowing what we were to each other!" she exclaimed, holding little Jim so that she could see her face, and who by this time was also in tears of joy.

"I was afraid you would trace the great resemblance to yourself when her tan came off and her hair grew out," I said, trying to be calm myself.

"Then this is my mother!" screamed the delighted little Jim. "Oh, I have wished a hundred times I could call you mother and now I have my wis.h.!.+" Then she began to dance up and down as though on springs, finally throwing her arms about her mother's neck and kissing her repeatedly between happy little sobs of joy unconfined.

Holding tightly to her darling child there came into the face of Norma Byng an intense sadness, her lips quivered. Intuitively, I knew what she was going to ask.

"Where is Howard? Is he unrelenting--is he not yet convinced?"

"No, he is not. His fierce Georgia nature, the hot blood of the South, stands in the way. I have tried and I am going to try again, so you must be prepared--even for failure. I am not at all sure of success. I am going out to try and find him now. While I am gone you might tell little Jim the whole story. She is a big little girl--just like her truly great mother and father. She will understand and it may help. He loves little Jim as his only love," I said, starting away from the reunited mother and child. It was time for them to be alone.

"Shall we wait?" asked Norma Byng, weeping softly.

"Yes, wait till I return."

After a lot of telephoning and explaining to clerks and bell boys, I finally succeeded in getting Howard's things transferred to the suite intended for him. He was looking for me and I for him with the result that it was late when we got together.

His first question was of little Jim. I had to be very careful when telling him how I had informed her about her new name. But he was much pleased and relieved that she knew. Then he began to talk about business. His disappointment at the turn things had taken in court was somewhat a.s.suaged by the information that two hundred thousand dollars in cash had been forfeited to the United States by Ramund's default in appearance.

He then began to tell me of the great progress he had made on his property, the stump pullers were again at work and things were going very well at the plant in Georgia.

"Did you hear of anyone moons.h.i.+ning in the swamps?"

"Well, I guess they are making a little liquor over there somewhere, but the old gang, the one you and I knew about, is not there," he replied, smiling.

"You didn't have time to go up to Alligator Island for a shot, did you?"

"No--and I don't believe I ever will go there again," he replied, sobering quickly, his face even saddening. "By the way, did you learn anything--of her? I suppose you have been too busy?"

"Yes, I have heard--I have some very important news. I know where she is. She is now, and always has been employed, and she is a more cultured, more wonderful woman than ever, Howard."

"It's a terrible thing, Wood. I wish that snake Ramund had been sent up for life, or hung, as he should be. It is strange how life continually presents great difficulties and disappointments."

"Howard, your case is not as bad as others. Your wife still loves you, and I don't believe she has ever wavered a moment. I wish you would see it that way."

"But, Wood, I may be able to forgive, but such a wrong I could not forget. It's the way of the South. We never forget. I have thought this terrible matter over ten thousand times, but was unable to deceive my own eyes--I saw. Sometimes I wish I had not seen."

Howard sat at the corner of the table and rested his powerful jaw in his palm gloomily. He was obstinate and so was I and thus matters stood when I began to pace the floor. I had become just as determined as he. Abruptly I stopped and looked him in the eye.

"Howard," said I, "there is no need of your being deceived. Norma Byng was then and is now as pure as driven snow--pure as an angel."

"You can only guess at that. You did not see--as I did. I would give up my hope of a future life not to have seen what I did. I will admit I love her as much as I ever did. I know it now--I wish I didn't," he said sadly. "It is one thing I must bear--one of the burdens of life,"

he added, depressed, but terribly firm.

"Howard, my whole life has been spent in learning what people think as much as what they do. And you have had plenty of evidence that I succeed. I tell you Norma Byng is innocent--guilty of nothing except one great indiscreet effort to aid you. She was led to believe she could. Time has not dimmed her ardent love for you one iota."

"I wish I were sure of it, but I could never be. I am, as I should be, very glad I have little Jim to love, for a man must have someone to love and work for."

"Howard, you have got to be bigger than that. You have succeeded a second time, and you are now more re-established materially; besides, you have done yourself honor--you have been the means of performing for this country a service that cannot be estimated----"

"No--Wood, you did it. It was all you, and I offer you again a half interest in the business, and this time you have got to take it. It's yours. I would never have regained it without your help."