The door opened and
Thankful Barnes entered. She paid no attention to Captain Obed, but,
walking straight to the desk, laid upon it the long envelope which
Winnie S. had brought to her house that morning.
"Will you tell me," she asked, sharply, "what that means?"
John rose. "Yes," he said, "I will tell you, Mrs. Barnes. It is a rather
long story. Sit down, please."
Thankful sank into the chair he indicated. He took up the envelope.
"I will tell you, Mrs. Barnes," he said, "why I sent you this deed.
Don't go, Captain Bangs, you know already and I should like to have you
stay. Here is the story, Mrs. Barnes."
He told it briefly, without superfluous words, but so clearly that there
could be no possibility of a misunderstanding. When he began Thankful's
attitude was cold and unbelieving. When he finished she was white and
trembling.
"Mrs. Barnes," he said, in conclusion, "I'm a peculiar fellow, I'm
afraid. I have rather--well, suppose we call them impractical ideas
concerning the ethics of my profession, duty to a client, and that sort
of thing. I have always been particular in taking a case, but when
I have taken it I have tried to carry it through. I--as you know, I
hesitated before accepting my cousin's retaining fee and the implied
obligation. However, I did accept."
He might have given his reasons for accepting but he did not. He went
on.
"When this matter of your property came up," he said, "I at first had no
idea that the thing was serious.
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