I want to be on good terms with my
own people, so that Charlie will have some of the opportunities dad can
so easily put in his way. Charlie isn't rich. He hasn't done anything,
according to the Abbey standard, but make a fair start. Dad's
patronizing as sin, and mother merely tolerates the idea because she
knows that I'll marry Charlie in any case, opposition or no opposition.
I came over expressly to warn you, Stella. Anything like scandal now
would be--well, it would upset so many things."
"You needn't be uneasy," Stella answered coldly. "There isn't any
foundation for scandal. There won't be."
"I don't know," Linda returned, "Walter Monohan came to Seattle a boat
ahead of me. In fact, that's largely why I came."
Stella flushed angrily.
"Well, what of that?" she demanded. "His movements are nothing to me."
"I don't know," Linda rejoined. She had taken off her gloves and was
rolling them nervously in a ball. Now she dropped them and impulsively
grasped Stella's hands.
"Stella, Stella," she cried. "Don't get that hurt, angry look. I don't
like to say these things to you, but I feel that I have to. I'm worried,
and I'm afraid for you and your husband, for Charlie and myself, for all
of us together. Walter Monohan is as dangerous as any man who's
unscrupulous and rich and absolutely self-centered can possibly be. I
know the glamour of the man. I used to feel it myself. It didn't go very
far with me, because his attention wandered away from me before my
feelings were much involved, and I had a chance to really fathom them
and him.
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