ck.

"I hope to God you will find some decent fellow who really
deserves you and will make you happy.

"Affectionately,

"GORDON."

After I had finished this horrible and clumsy message, I looked at Miss
Van Rossum. There was something very wistful and strong in the glance
that rested upon me. I had no doubt that she had been studying my face,
as I read, and watching the impression made on me. Of course, he had
been greatly agitated when he wrote. I felt sure that he must have torn
up one letter after another and finally sent the worst of all. It had
dwindled into a few lines, which explained nothing, being merely brutal
and final, like a knockout blow. He had made a mess of things, forsooth!
Well, the reading of such a letter might have made one think that he had
robbed a bank or cheated at cards!

"You see, Mr. Cole, it doesn't say much, does it? I just had to tell my
mother that Gordon had felt called upon to go off and--and do a big
thing, and that of course the--the whole thing was put off indefinitely.
I--I don't think she was disappointed. Of course, they had allowed me to
have my own way, and they liked Gordon very well, but they had a notion
that in our own circle--But, of course, that's neither here nor there.
Naturally, I knew at once that Gordon could never have done anything
really wrong. He's a very true and genuine man, in his way, and
incapable of--of a nasty action. So I just had to suppose that perhaps
some other woman had come into his life and that he didn't love me any
more. And he--he was never very demonstrative, you know; it wasn't his
way. But he had always been such a good friend, and so wonderfully
clever, and--But of course, you know all that. His letter to you, I
think, gives me what they call a clue. He--he sends his love to--to
somebody I don't know. Of course I'm not going to ask--I really only
came to know whether there was anything I could do. I wondered whether
there was, perhaps, some money trouble, or something like that, and I'd
have been so glad to--to help out. You were his best friend and could
have told me how to manage it, but now I see----"

She interrupted her words, rising from the chair I had offered her and
looking very handsome and, I must say, dignified.

"I wouldn't have troubled you, you know, but I have been all at sea.
It--it has been rather tough, because Gordon is a man whom a woman could
love very deeply--at any rate I never realized ho