Her silence alarmed him, and he made excuses for himself. He was speculating for her sake more than for his own, and so on.
"Choo—choo!" whistled the far-off train through the still air.
He sprang up and reached for his coat.
She seized his arm again. "Where are you going?" she sternly asked.
"To take that train."
"When are you coming back?"
"I don't know." But his tone said, "Never."
She felt it. Her face grew bitter. "Going to leave me and—the babies?"
"I'll send for you soon. Come, good-by!" He tried to put his arm about her. She stepped back.
"Jim, if you leave me to-night" ("Choo—choo!" whistled the engine), "you leave me forever." There was a terrible resolution in her tone.