Jump to content

Page:Kat and Copy-Cat.pdf/221

From Wikisource
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

didn't hurt you, did he."

"No, no!" said Evalani, quickly. "He was very drunk by then, maudlin drunk, and he carried me in and dumped me down like a bag of meal. He evidently had a key to the house, for he put me down on the lanai while he unlocked the door, and then he dragged me in and flopped me onto the floor and then sat down beside me and began to cry. Yes, actually to cry, in that drunken, maudlin way; saying that he had got to kill me there in the dark and he hated to kill a woman, and that people were always making him do the dirty work and kill women and little children, and he wouldn't ever be able to sleep again as long as he lived, because he knew that I would haunt him, and then he began begging me to promise him that I wouldn't haunt him; but of course I was gagged and couldn't do any talking or promising. And then finally he tried to screw up his courage and leaned over and took a grip upon my throat with his two hands." Again a shudder shook her form.

Dick uttered an exclamation and drew her into the shelter of his arm once more, and after hiding her face for a moment against his shoulder, she went on. "Well, even then he couldn't make his courage hold out. His fingers turned flabby and dropped off and he began to cry again and talk about his poor dead brother and wish that he was there to do it for him. 'Jim would do it,' he said.