with just a businesslike good morning.
“Well, not quite,” said Cameron. “I have a little business to settle up with you for the Faber estate. Yes, those were my orders. Mr. Faber spoke a few words to me after you left us. He rallied. It seemed as if there were things he felt he must say before he left this world, and one of those things was to ask me to thank you and see that you were paid. He told me what to give you.”
“But I don’t think I should be paid for a little favor to a dying man. It doesn’t seem ethical to me.”
Cameron smiled appreciatively.
“I understand, of course. You can call it a gift of gratitude if you want to, but I think you’d better take it. You surely can make better use of it than that fury of a widow of his would. Don’t you think so? And then there’s another thing—it wasn’t just the matter of a little stenography and typing, and the trouble you’ve had to take to go to the lawyer and to court. That, he would pay for, of course. But he was most grateful to you for that prayer. Remember, if it had been his minister, or any passing minister who had prayed for him in his dying moment, Mr. Faber would want a substantial gift of money presented to him. And he spoke of the prayer especially. Of course, his breath was almost gone, and he could only gasp detached words, but evidently your prayer made a great impression upon him. It seemed as if it had taught him the way to expect entrance at the heavenly gate.”
“Oh!” said Astra, her eyes suddenly brimming with quick, unbidden tears. “That is pay enough for what I did. I don’t want anything else!”
Some men coming out of the courthouse just then turned and looked curiously at her. Cameron drew her away toward the edge of the pavement and summoned a taxi.
“I understand,” he said comfortably, “but would you mind coming over to my office a few minutes so I can tell you a few things? And there’ll be some papers for you to read and sign.”
She let him put her in a taxi, and when they were on their way again she looked up, a resolute expression on her face.
“Please,” she said wistfully, “I’d rather not sign any more papers. I wouldn’t like Mrs. Faber to know even my name or find out where I am.”
“Of course not!” said Cameron. “I wouldn’t think of suggesting anything that would give her a clue about you. But I would like to hand young Mr. Faber papers showing what his father asked us to do. Of course the lawyer will deal with that, too, in his statement, but I felt that Paul Faber merited a little more personal statement from us who came closest to his father in his last hours. If you object after reading what I have dictated, you need not sign it.”
“Oh, of course I’m willing to sign anything you think I ought to be sent to him. I thought maybe it was something for the family. I really wouldn’t like to meet that woman again. She was insulting. You don’t think I should go to the funeral, do you?”
“Why no, of course not. Now we’ll get this business over as quickly as possible, and then I suppose you’ll be very glad to be seeing the last of me. I hope I shall not have to be troubling you any more with annoying requests.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I objected!” said Astra. “You haven’t been in the least annoying. It has been very interesting, the whole affair, and you have been most kind. I’m afraid I am going to feel quite stranded after you are gone. You have made me feel as if you were an old friend. And I have discovered that the friends with whom I expected to spend Christmas are sick and gone to Florida, so I am quite on my own for a few days until I hunt up some of my other friends. You see, the business you have provided has really helped to fill rather lonely days. You mustn’t feel you have annoyed me, please.”
“Well, that’s nice,” said Cameron, smiling genially. “That’s better than I had counted on. Now, here we are at the office. Shall we go
“Well, not quite,” said Cameron. “I have a little business to settle up with you for the Faber estate. Yes, those were my orders. Mr. Faber spoke a few words to me after you left us. He rallied. It seemed as if there were things he felt he must say before he left this world, and one of those things was to ask me to thank you and see that you were paid. He told me what to give you.”
“But I don’t think I should be paid for a little favor to a dying man. It doesn’t seem ethical to me.”
Cameron smiled appreciatively.
“I understand, of course. You can call it a gift of gratitude if you want to, but I think you’d better take it. You surely can make better use of it than that fury of a widow of his would. Don’t you think so? And then there’s another thing—it wasn’t just the matter of a little stenography and typing, and the trouble you’ve had to take to go to the lawyer and to court. That, he would pay for, of course. But he was most grateful to you for that prayer. Remember, if it had been his minister, or any passing minister who had prayed for him in his dying moment, Mr. Faber would want a substantial gift of money presented to him. And he spoke of the prayer especially. Of course, his breath was almost gone, and he could only gasp detached words, but evidently your prayer made a great impression upon him. It seemed as if it had taught him the way to expect entrance at the heavenly gate.”
“Oh!” said Astra, her eyes suddenly brimming with quick, unbidden tears. “That is pay enough for what I did. I don’t want anything else!”
Some men coming out of the courthouse just then turned and looked curiously at her. Cameron drew her away toward the edge of the pavement and summoned a taxi.
“I understand,” he said comfortably, “but would you mind coming over to my office a few minutes so I can tell you a few things? And there’ll be some papers for you to read and sign.”
She let him put her in a taxi, and when they were on their way again she looked up, a resolute expression on her face.
“Please,” she said wistfully, “I’d rather not sign any more papers. I wouldn’t like Mrs. Faber to know even my name or find out where I am.”
“Of course not!” said Cameron. “I wouldn’t think of suggesting anything that would give her a clue about you. But I would like to hand young Mr. Faber papers showing what his father asked us to do. Of course the lawyer will deal with that, too, in his statement, but I felt that Paul Faber merited a little more personal statement from us who came closest to his father in his last hours. If you object after reading what I have dictated, you need not sign it.”
“Oh, of course I’m willing to sign anything you think I ought to be sent to him. I thought maybe it was something for the family. I really wouldn’t like to meet that woman again. She was insulting. You don’t think I should go to the funeral, do you?”
“Why no, of course not. Now we’ll get this business over as quickly as possible, and then I suppose you’ll be very glad to be seeing the last of me. I hope I shall not have to be troubling you any more with annoying requests.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I objected!” said Astra. “You haven’t been in the least annoying. It has been very interesting, the whole affair, and you have been most kind. I’m afraid I am going to feel quite stranded after you are gone. You have made me feel as if you were an old friend. And I have discovered that the friends with whom I expected to spend Christmas are sick and gone to Florida, so I am quite on my own for a few days until I hunt up some of my other friends. You see, the business you have provided has really helped to fill rather lonely days. You mustn’t feel you have annoyed me, please.”
“Well, that’s nice,” said Cameron, smiling genially. “That’s better than I had counted on. Now, here we are at the office. Shall we go
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