登陆注册
4900000000104

第104章

There was swift relief on the faces of Barney and Old Jimmie; to be instantly dispelled by Chief Barlow's next statement which followed his last with only a pause for breath:

"The main thing we want is to stick these two crooks away." He turned on Barney and Old Jimmie. "I've just learned you two fellows are the birds I want for that Gregory stock business. I've got you for fair on that. It'll hold you a hundred times tighter than any conspiracy charge. Casey, Gavegan--hustle these two crooks out of here."

The next moment Casey and Gavegan had handcuffs on the prisoners and were leading them out.

"Good for you, Larry," Casey whispered warmly as he went by with Barney. "I knew you were going to win out, though it might be an extra-inning game!"

At the door Barlow paused. "I hope I've done everything all right, Miss Sherwood?"

"Yes--as far as I know, Mr. Barlow."

Again Barlow started out, and again turned. "And you, Brainard," he said, rather grudgingly, "I guess you needn't worry any about that charge against you. It'll be dropped."

And with that Barlow followed his men and his prisoners out of the room.

Then for a moment there was silence. As Larry saw and felt that moment, it was a moment so large that words would only make a faltering failure in trying to express it. He himself was suddenly free of all clouds and all dangers. He had succeeded in what he had been trying to do with Maggie. A father and a daughter were meeting, with each knowing their relationship, for the first time. There was so much to be said, among all of them, that could only be said as souls relaxed and got acquainted with each other.

It was so strained, so stupendous a moment that it would quickly have become awkward and anti-climacteric but for the tact of Miss Sherwood.

"Mr. Brainard," she began, in her smiling, direct manner, with a touch of brisk commonplace in it which helped relieve the tension, "I want to apologize to you for the way I treated you late this afternoon. As I said, I've just had a talk with Dick and he's told me everything--except some things we may all have to tell each other later. I was entirely in the wrong, and you were entirely in the right. And the way you've handled things seems to have given Dick just that shock which you said he needed to awaken him to be the man it's in him to be. I'm sure we all congratulate you."

She gave Larry no chance to respond. She knew the danger, in such an emotional crisis as this, of any let-up. So she went right on in her brisk tone of ingratiating authority.

"I guess we've all been through too much to talk. You are all coming right home with me. Mr. Brainard and Mr. Ellison live there, I'm their boss, and they've got to come. And you've got to come, Miss Ellison, if you don't want to offend me. I won't take 'no.' Besides, your place is near your father. Wear what you have on; in a half a minute you can put enough in a bag to last until to-morrow. To-morrow we'll send in for the rest of your things--whatever you want--and send a note to your Miss Grierson, paying her off. You and your father will have my car," she concluded, "Mr. Brainard and Dick will ride in Dick's car, and Mr. Hunt will take me."

And as she ordered, so was it.

For fifteen minutes--perhaps half an hour--after it rolled away from the Grantham Hotel there was absolute stillness in Miss Sherwood's limousine, which she had assigned to Maggie and her father. Maggie was near emotional collapse from what she had been through; and now she was sitting tight in one corner, away from the dark shadow in the other corner that was her newly discovered father who had cared for her so much that he had sought to erase from her mind all knowledge of his existence. She wanted to say something--do something; she was torn with a poignant hunger. But she was so filled with pulsing desires and fears that she was impotent to express any of the million things within her.

And so they rode on, dark shadows, almost half the width of the deeply cushioned seat between them. Thus they had ridden along Jackson Avenue, almost into Flushing, when the silence was broken by the first words of the journey. They were husky words, yearning and afraid of their own sound, and were spoken by Maggie's father.

"I--I don't know what to call you. Will--will Maggie do?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"I'm--I'm not much," the husky voice ventured on; "but what you said about going away--for my sake--do you think you need to do it?"

"I've made--such a mess of myself," she choked out.

"Other people were to blame," he said. "And out of it all, I think you're going to be what--what I dreamed you were. And--and--"

There was another stifling silence. "Yes?" she prompted.

"I wanted to keep out of your life--for your sake," he went on in his strained, suppressed voice. "But--but if you're not ashamed of me now that you know all"--in the darkness his groping hand closed upon hers--"I wish you wouldn't--go away from me, Maggie."

And then the surging, incoherent thing in her that bad been struggling to say itself this last half-hour, suddenly found its voice in a single word:

"Father!" she cried, and flung her arms around his neck.

"Maggie!" he sobbed, crushing her to him.

All the way to Cedar Crest they said not another word; just clung to each other in the darkness, sobbing--the first miraculous embrace of a father and daughter who had each found that which they had never expected to have.

同类推荐
  • 小儿痢门

    小儿痢门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 乾隆巡幸江南记

    乾隆巡幸江南记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 開原縣志

    開原縣志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Bird Neighbors

    Bird Neighbors

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Poor Miss Finch

    Poor Miss Finch

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 殿下每天都在黑化

    殿下每天都在黑化

    姜影落水后穿越了,捡到了一个落魄皇子,每天战战兢兢地躲避身边的明枪暗箭,带着小皇子在宫中夹缝求生。好不容易养大小皇子,满心欢喜,本以为可以从此过上幸福生活,哪知当初的小奶狗变成了大狼狗,一言不合就黑化。姜影被扑倒的前一刻还在想。特么的古代人太早熟了!
  • 萌夫来袭:拐个兽神绑上轿

    萌夫来袭:拐个兽神绑上轿

    想她堂堂苏家小公举:前世草率死亡,然后草率重生,外送一只毛球蠢萌系统,可为何那上辈子弄死自己凶手之一:御殿殿主的容貌却在眼前挥之不去?…不不不,这不叫渣,这叫人之常情可懂?【某男仰头看着面前大吃特吃的某女,漂亮的眼中充满了氤氲,“跪好。”某女微笑着轻轻飘来一句,某个可怜的少年立马摆正了跪姿,可怜兮兮地看着她,小白兔一样的眼眸温软可人。报复中的某女:让你不喜欢我!这次一次“喜欢”个够!!】【某女:“我喜欢强势点的夫君,你不行。”某男心一颤,委屈地揪住衣角,泪落:“小玖儿,你是不要为夫了吗?!”看着一脸梨花带雨的美人,某女吼道:你这么爱哭,你就告诉我你殿里那些人知道吗??!!!】
  • 三国之王者降临

    三国之王者降临

    玩个游戏而已,居然穿越了。李惠民一头扎进汉末,成为凉州军阀李傕的侄子。此时,董卓刚死,汉室江山风雨飘摇,山东诸侯并起,凉州军朝不保夕。为了活命,李惠民只能努力挣扎着一路前行!
  • 系统叫我去女装

    系统叫我去女装

    女装?我尹赫就是饿死,死外边,从这里跳下去,也不会...嗳,真香!这是一个佛性系统和咸鱼主角,相互扶持,相濡以沫,最终过上了幸福生活的故事...
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 快穿之宿主太戏精

    快穿之宿主太戏精

    “宿主,你在干嘛!!!!”002咆哮。“杀人放火啊。”女人轻笑,擦了擦手中的匕首,踢了一脚旁边碍着她脚的人,随即起身。咻的一下,女人点燃了一根火柴丢在了那堆人身上。“宿主,你不能这样!!!!”“怎么不能?这天下我说的算。”……“002,你看,那东西,它可以把你灭掉哦~”女人指着某个高科技,恶趣味的说。“宿主,你别吓唬我……”“啧,我怎么会吓唬你呢。你也不看看我是谁,怎么可能做那么低端的事呢。”“呃……宿主,你是谁?”“我啊?我是魔鬼哦。”是了,魔鬼,不然他们也不会关着她了,真有趣呢……002怎么也没有想到,自家宿主居然那么丧心病狂!!!!
  • 冷先生正好我也喜欢你

    冷先生正好我也喜欢你

    传言A市的冷少薄情寡义,生人勿近!传闻都是骗人的!“冷少!夫人又爬墙了。”“搬个梯子给她爬!”“冷少,夫人说她要吃土生土长的海边大闸蟹。”“马上派专机给她运一车过来!”“冷少,夫人说她无聊。”原本埋头工作的某人抬头,放下手中的笔。“我马上过去……”十六岁时对他一见钟情,却不知,在更早的时候,她已经被他放进了心里……(宠文+专一)
  • 庐山莲宗宝鉴

    庐山莲宗宝鉴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生之腹黑天师

    重生之腹黑天师

    韩灵灵这一生很是凄惨,年幼时母亲早死,爸爸不疼,哥哥不爱,在家里就是一个受气包。婶婶不是打她就是骂,这也就算了,婶婶还将自己母亲唯一留给自己的房子也将他们夺了去不说,还将自己大学的名额也给抢走,将自己赶出家门。还好有一个人收留了韩灵灵,将她收为徒弟,教授她阴阳之事,在她有成就之事,她却因她而死,这趟韩灵灵化为复仇女神,将伤害自己和师傅的人杀得的鸡犬不留。在完成复仇之事,韩灵灵也是因罪恶做的太多,最后惨死。重生。韩灵灵会到十八岁,将欺负自己的一家人全部赶出韩家,重生之后自带异能,捉鬼,看相十分精确,算无遗漏。刚刚上大学就遇见一个自大狂傲之人,不是指挥她做着就是坐那?这她怎么可能愿意,她可是堂堂一届天师怎么可以做这些。不过从此恶事缠身。邢子儀;不禁女色,冷血无情,外界人称黑阎王,商业奇才,权势滔天,根基深厚。“大哥,外面有个叫韩一佳的人,说什么是大嫂的妹妹要见你。”“让她滚,让她欺负我媳妇,明天就让她喝西北风。”“大哥,嫂子让你回家。”“我去,你怎么不早说啊!你这个月的奖金没有了”“…………”真能怪我吗?……………………本文欢迎小可爱们入坑,喜欢的朋友们可以收藏哦!
  • 不完缺

    不完缺

    她以为,这世界上所有人都背叛她,他也会陪在她身边,可事与愿违,没等到这世界的背叛,却先收到了他的惊喜;他以为,他能护她一生无忧,让她成为这世上最快乐的女孩,可世事难料,没等他护她一世安宁,却让她受尽苦痛;本来说好要相忘,可终是放不下,又回头望,才发现,原来,无论你说要走多远,都是默默跟在我身后。