When Zada began to peel off her rings and thrust them out to him he swiftly turned on his heel and fled. He never knew whether Zada woke the block with her howls or not when he left her forever.
He forgot to ask when he came back.
CHAPTER XII
First he went home to take his temper to Charity. On the way he worked up a splendid rage at her for giving such a woman as Zada grounds for gossip. He went straight to her room and walked in without knocking.
Charity was dictating a letter to her secretary. Cheever surprised a phrase before she saw him.
“'Thousands of blind soldiers and thousands of orphans hold out their hands to us. We must all do what we can—' Why, hello! Where did you drop from? Give me just a minute while I finish this letter. Let me see. Where was I?”
The secretary read in a dull, secretarial voice:
“'Thousblinsoldiersorphs—wem'sdo'll we can.'”