“Jim Rankin?” she exclaimed. “What in the world has happened?”
“I never was so mortified in my life! I never endured such insolence, such ignominy, such abuse!”
“Why—tell me—dear, where was it?”
“In the post-office, in the most public place in town, before a crowd of people—Ach!” He shook his head in disgust and wrath.
“Why, what did he say—tell me!” Emily almost screamed.
“I met him accidentally, I greeted him, I told him I wished to see him, to talk to him. I was going to take care of him—I had it all arranged to fix the whole damned business—”
“Jerome!”
He had never sworn in her presence before.
“But he wouldn’t listen,” he rushed on. “He poured out upon me a perfect torrent of profanity and obscenity; it was disgusting, humiliating; I should have struck him down!”
“But you didn’t?” she asked, and her tone made her question half a plea. She bent toward him and laid her hands on his shoulders.