And he set to-night as the time for the deed."
"But why couldn't he have done it there and then?"
"How hard-hearted you are! Probably because he wanted to put his affairs in
order before putting an end to his life."
She spoke in all seriousness. Doctor Haslam succeeded with difficulty in
restraining a smile.
"You don't imagine for a moment," he said, "that the young man intended
keeping his oath."
"Don't I? You should have seen the look on his face when he spoke it."
"Well?"
"Well, I couldn't sleep with the thought that a man was going to kill
himself on my account. It makes me shudder. I'd see his face in my dreams
every night of my life. Then if a note were really found in his hands,
addressed to me, the whole thing would come out in the newspapers, and
wouldn't that be horrible? Of course I couldn't tell my cousins anything
about his threat, so I invented my excuse quickly, packed a small handbag,
disguised myself with Cousin Laura's hat and veil, and took the same train
that Tom took. I've kept my eye on him ever since, and he has no idea I'm
on his track. The only time I lost was in hurrying home with my handbag to
see my aunt, but I didn't even do that until I'd followed him on Chestnut
Street to the down-town box-office of this theatre and seen him buy a seat,
which I later found out from the ticket-seller was for to-night.
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