She was about to speak when Jimmy came through the door. Shooting an unfriendly glance at Dane he walked up to Valerie with a comical air of possession and sat down in the chair beside her. She looked at him. “Oh, the proofs, Jimmy? Well, we were nearly through them. We will finish them in the morning. You go now.”
Jimmy understood perfectly that he was being dismissed, and he was resentful against the man who had come in. He knew who he was, and he had overheard Bob say he did not want him to have anything to do with the office. It disturbed him that Valerie should let him stay there, especially with Bob ill in the hospital. She saw he was put out.
“Thanks for what you’ve done, Jimmy. Mr. Benton has sent Mr. Barrington in to see about helping us out, so I won’t read any more proofs to-night. Go on home.”
That made the boy feel a little better. He took up his cap and went out saying good-night to her. Then she saw him peeping through the window. She waved him away and they both heard his steps going off.
Dane’s eyes were fixed steadily on her again, and they compelled her to look up at him. “Hero worship?” he smiled, nodding his head in the direction of the departing Jimmy.
“As you see, and a bad case. I have to be careful of him. They are so confused and so sensitive at that age ———” She stopped for he had slipped off the stool and was standing in front of her, and something about him lifted her to her feet.
“We never get over it, Valerie dear,” he said, very softly.
He felt her tremble and then make a desperate effort to stand still, and the shadow of the dying Bob fell between them.
