Page:Glitter (1926).pdf/140

 ment. Absurd, to take up cudgels for a man against his wife! After all, Brad understood Eunice. "I'd better go," he said aloud. "I'm sorry I lost my head. You'll forgive me, won't you, Brad? I was worried as all hell about you, and then when you got here safe and sound, the reaction—I guess I didn't know what I was saying."

This apology was to Brad, not to Eunice. Brad answered it without lifting his head. "That's all right, old man. I understand. Forget it."

Jock did not look at Eunice. He neither knew nor cared what her attitude might be. He stood a moment turning his hat around and around in his hands. He wanted to say something more, something to cheer Brad up a little, but no adequate words would come. He thought, "I'll see him in the morning." He reiterated, "I'd better go." And went.

Eunice overtook him in the hall. "You were right, Jock," she said. "I was mean. But he's been behavin' so funny for weeks, and it's gettin? on my nerves so"

"I'm going to see him tomorrow," Jock stated, "and have a long talk with him. I'll find out what the matter is."

In the morning, when he descended to an eight o'clock breakfast, they told him that Brad Hathaway had put a bullet through his brain three hours before.