The reporter turned to her respectfully, and Mr. Ray thanked her with a look. A moment later he was again leaning on the arm of Dr. Brookes, on his way to the Morgue to identify the body.
Marion told the story as briefly as she could, but as she mentioned the name of Augustus Atherton the stolid reporter gave a long, low whistle.
“He is here, Lawyer Atherton,” he said, quickly. “He came up in the boat with me, and he acted like a madman. Every one of us kept our eyes on him—we thought he was going to jump overboard.”
“Well, he is a very wicked man!” said Marion, impulsively, “so I don’t pity him as much as I do her poor husband!”
“Ray treated her all right for all I can learn,” said the reporter. “She was a ‘tough proposition,’ if you know what that means, but if the father is bad what can you expect from the children?”
As they were walking back to the Penitentiary, Marion remembered the errand that she had been sent on, but she felt sure that the superintendent would excuse her when she heard her story.
At the door of the warden’s office even the reporter halted. The scene in the office was almost appalling.
Archie Ray and his father-in-law stood face to face, both pale as death and both glaring at each other.
In an instant Marion knew that there had been hot words between them, and that they were each blaming the other for the day’s experience.