Page:Emma Speed Sampson--The shorn lamb.djvu/66

62 As Myra finished reading there was perfect silence on the porch.

Finally Evelyn said: "Of course this is some impostor!"

"Of course!" assented Myra.

"It's the biggest hoax I ever heard of," put in Spottswood.

"What day is this?" asked Major Taylor.

"This is Thursday?" answered Myra.

The Major reflected for a moment. "Well, whoever this Rebecca is, she must have arrived at the Court House long before this. There will be no one to meet her, so perhaps she will get on the train and go back to New York. I must say I would like to have a look at the person."

Major Taylor was endeavoring to appear calm and indifferent, but his hand was trembling as he reached out for Mrs. O'Shea's letter. Could Tom have had a child after all? Of course not? It was some scheme of the O'Shea person to get money from him. Funny, though, that she had not mentioned money at all. That would come later on. Suppose it turned out to be Tom's daughter! Things went dim before the old man's eyes for a moment. It couldn't be possible. Tom would have told him if he had had a child. Perhaps he had! Perhaps