"No, no," she cried, apparently calm now. "I won't kill you—I wouldn't be guilty of such a thing. You're not worth it," she burst out into a wild laugh. "You're not worth it—no—no—no—" she cried, trailing off into hysteria.
At that instant Shirley Bloodgood once more entered the room. Some instinct had brought her back again.
"Miriam!" she exclaimed.
Miriam burst forth into another wild laugh, and then threw herself into the arms of the girl, where she lay unconscious for some moments.
"She's fainted," said Shirley, glancing at Challoner, accusingly.
Challoner stood stupidly where he was for an instant. Then he thrust his hand into his trousers pocket and pulled out a fifty dollar bill, saying in a new strange tone:—
"Shirley, I took this fifty dollar bill from the drawer over there—you'd better take it—it belongs to you."
The girl took it wonderingly.
"I'll take care of her," Challoner went on, gently taking the form of his young wife from Shirley and holding her in his arms.
It was thus that Shirley Bloodgood left them; and as the door closed on her, Challoner leaned over Miriam and stroked her face and kissed her affectionately while the tears rolled down his cheeks. That same night she was taken to a hospital with a raging fever.