“Not a bit,” said Crabb, striding cheerfully to the door. “It’s only a step from the subway, and then I can come on up the Avenue——”
But Patricia by this time had fastened tightly upon the lapels of his coat, and was looking half tearfully up into his face.
“I—I want to see Madame about some things she hasn’t sent up yet—I must go there to-day. I’ll—I’ll tell her, Mort, and then if you’ll arrange it, I’ll just send it to her to-morrow.”
Mortimer Crabb looked into the blue eyes that she raised to his and relented.
“All right,” he said, “you shall have your own way.” And then, with the suspicion of a smile, “Shall I make a check to your order?”
“To—to mine, Mort—it always makes me feel more important to pay my bills myself—and besides—the bub—bridge, you know.”
When Patricia heard the front door shut behind her husband, she gave a great sigh and sank on the divan in a state of utter collapse.
The next day Patricia dressed herself in a plain, dark skirt, a long grey coat and wore two heavy veils over an unobtrusive sailor hat. In her hand she clutched a small hand satchel containing the precious check and the odious letter of John Doe. First she went to the bank and converted the check into crisp thousand dollar notes. Then walking rapidly she took the elevated for that unknown region which men call down-town. There was little difficulty in finding the place. The narrow doorway she had imagined was wide—even imposing, and an Irish janitor with a cheerful countenance, was sweeping the pavement and whistling. It was not in the least Dickens-ish, or Machiavellian. The atmosphere was that of a very cheerful and modern New York and Patricia’s spirits revived. A cleanly boy in buttons ran the elevator.
But as the elevator shot up, Patty’s heart shot down. She had hoped there would be stairs to climb. The imminence of the visit filled her with alarm, and before she realized it, she was deposited—a bundle of quivering nerves, before the very door. Gathering her shattered forces together, she knocked timorously and entered. It was a cheerful room with a bright carpet and an outlook over the river. A small boy who sat inside a wooden railing, sprang up and came forward.