“I told him about Dannie and he begged me not to worry; that he was probably out of town in the oil fields and too busy to write.
“We went in together to see Lita, and she acted as she had done on the previous occasion when he called. He did not stay long with her, but devoted most of his time to me, trying to cheer me up, which he certainly knew how to do. He remained to dinner and brought out some of the wine which we kept for Lita’s use.
“After dinner I felt so drowsy that I laid down and he covered me up carefully and told me to take a good sleep; that he would take a late train to the city.
“That was the last innocent sleep I had. When I awoke, in the night, I was undressed and in bed. I could not think where I was, and when I turned I thought Dannie was there and I put my arms about him.
“When morning came—ah! how can I tell it?” she said shuddering. “When morning came—well, I knew I was no longer what I had been—a true wife.”
“Mr. Leighton was very tender to me and tried to soothe my feverish unrest, and after awhile I passed into a quiet slumber. When I awoke I was alone. It was late in the afternoon and I thought with a start of Lita.
“When I entered her room she came toward me with outstretched arms.
“‘I am so glad to see you, Anita,’ she said. ‘Where have you been all this time? If you had not locked me in so securely, I should have found you before this time.’ She pulled me down on her cot and said: ‘I want to tell you something.’
“I always indulged her whims, so I sat down beside her.