"No," she confessed, after a moment. "He did not write me that he
thought it right to give Captain Hunniwell such a reference. In
fact he wrote that he thought it all wrong, deceitful, bordering on
the dishonest. He much preferred having Charles go to the captain
and tell the whole truth. On the other hand, however, he said he
realized that that might mean the end of the opportunity here and
perhaps public scandal and gossip by which we all might suffer.
And he said he had absolute confidence that Charles was not a
criminal by intent, and he felt quite sure that he would never go
wrong again. If he were still in active business, he said, he
should not hesitate to employ him. Therefore, although he still
believed the other course safer and better, he would, if Captain
Hunniwell wrote, answer as I had asked. And he did answer in that
way. So, you see," she cried, eagerly, "HE believes in Charles,
just as I do. And just as you will when you know, Mr. Winslow.
Oh, WON'T you try to believe now?"
A harder-hearted man than Jed Winslow would have found it difficult
to refuse such a plea made in such a way by such a woman. And
Jed's heart was anything but hard.
"Now, now, Mrs. Armstrong," he stammered, "you don't have to ask me
that. Course I believe in the poor young chap. And--and I guess
likely everything's goin' to come out all right.
Pages:
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237