Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/202

 "Absolutely."

"Then I must prove myself worthy, mustn't I?"

"The papers are ready"—she said, bustling about the table and mixing the bundles in greater confusion with an attempt at arranging them in business order.

John seated himself and began to examine them. She bent over his shoulder saying with a light laugh:

"I'll do my best to explain them—they are all Greek to me—but you'll understand."

"I'm sure there will be no great difficulty."

He ran rapidly over the bundles and in half an hour had made memorandums of each division of the work before him. He took up one of the packages and began its careful reading, but the writing faded. He could hear Stella softly breathing as she bent near him and see the beautiful little hand resting on the table. He was seized with a mad impulse to grasp it and clasp her in his arms. He smiled and placed his hand on his forehead a moment lest she might see his confusion. He could endure it no longer. He must leave and regain control of himself.

He tied the packages of papers together and rose.

"You are going so soon?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll take them down to my office. It will require several hours to go over them."