But a bomb was to be hurled among us.
At twelve o'clock of the next day the 'phone rang.
Darrie answered it. After a few words she came for me, her face as white
as a sheet....
"My God, Penton is in town!"
"--this is only Thursday ... he was not coming till Saturday!" I
exclaimed, full of forboding.
"I knew, I knew he wouldn't keep his original mind!" exclaimed Hildreth.
"He's holding the wire ... wants to say something to you, Johnnie."
* * * * *
"Yes, Penton, what is it?"
"Only this," his voice replied, as if rehearsing a set speech,
"yesterday afternoon I sent a telegram to my lawyer to institute
proceedings for a divorce, and I mentioned you as co-respondent...."
"Damn you to hell ... I thought we were going to settle this in the
radical way?"
"It's the only way out that I can see. I've stood this business till
it's almost killing me."
"Well, is that all?"
"No ... somehow--how, I do not know, the _New York Journal_ has gotten
hold of my wire ... it will be in all the papers to-night or to-morrow
... so I advise you and Hildreth to disappear quietly somewhere, if you
don't want to see the reporters,--who will all presently be on the way
to the flat."
"Damn you, Penton ... needn't tell _me_ about the news leaking out ...
you've done it yourself ... now I want you to promise me only one thing,
that you'll hold the reporters off for a couple of hours, till we have a
good start.
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