The Drums of Jeopardy

Clitter-clatter! Clitter-clatter! Cutty stared hard at the cement floor.

Marry her, settle a sum on her, and give her her freedom. Molly's girl.

Give her a chance to play. He turned.

"Kitty, do you trust me?"

"Of all the foolish questions!" She pressed his arm. "Why shouldn't I

trust you?"

"Will you marry me? Wait! Let me make clear to you what I have in mind.

I'm all alone. I loved your mother. It breaks my heart that while I have

everything in the way of luxuries you have nothing. I can't settle a sum

on you--an income. The world wouldn't understand. Your friends would be

asking questions among themselves. This telegram from Washington means

but one thing: that in a few weeks I shall be on my way to the East. I

shall be mighty unhappy if I have to go leaving you in the rut. This is

my idea: marry me an hour or so before the ship sails. I will leave you

a comfortable income. Lord knows how long I shall be gone. Well, I

won't write. After a year you can regain your freedom on the grounds of

desertion. Simple as falling off a log. It's the one logical way I can

help you. Will you?"

Station after station flashed by. Kitty continued stare through the

window across the way, by and by she turned her face toward him, her

eyes shining with tears.

"Cutty, there is going to be a nice place in heaven for you some day. I

understand. I believe Mother understands, too. Am I selfish? I can't say

No to you and I can't say Yes. Yet I should be a liar if I did not say

that everything in me leaps toward the idea. It is both hateful and

fascinating. Common sense says Yes; and something else in me says No.

I like dainty things, dainty surroundings. I want to travel, to see

something of the world. I once thought I had creative genius, but I

might as well face the fact that I haven't. Only by accident will I ever

earn more than I'm earning now. In a few years I'll grow old suddenly.

You know what the newspaper game does to women. The rush and hurry of

it, the excitements, the ceaseless change. It is a furnace, and women

shrivel up in it quicker than men."

"There won't be any nonsense, Kitty. An hour before I go aboard my ship.

I'll go back to the job the happiest of men. Molly's girl taken care of!

Just before your father died I promised him I'd keep an eye on you. I

never forgot, but conditions made it impossible. The apartment will

be yours as long as you need it. Kuroki, of course, goes with me. It's

merely going by convention on the blind side. To leave you something in

my will wouldn't serve at all, I'm a tough old codger and may be

marked down for a hale old ninety. All I want is to make you happy and

carefree."