The Golden Key; Or, A Heart's Silent Worship. Mrs. Georgie Sheldon

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СКАЧАТЬ upon his heel, muttering something under his breath, and abruptly left the room.

      Allison suddenly threw down her fan and shrugged her shapely shoulders.

      “Ugh!” she said, shivering slightly. “I don’t need that any more—I always get a chill whenever that man comes near me.”

      Gerald smiled, yet he looked somewhat disconcerted, for, of late, he had been conscious of a growing barrier between himself and this strangely clever man, who was an expert accountant, a talented lawyer, a director of the bank, and one at whose touch everything seemed to turn into gold.

      “But Mr. Hubbard is very valuable to Mr. Brewster and the bank,” he said, in reply to Allison’s remark; “he inspects all accounts, manages all law business, and has recently been made one of the directors of the bank.”

      “Is that so?” queried the young girl, with some surprise.

      “Yes; he owns quite a good deal of stock.”

      But Allison Brewster was not much interested to know who owned stock in the bank; business had little attraction for her beyond its results, which, of course, were a necessary factor in her life, while John Hubbard and his affairs were of no moment whatever to her.

      “Gerald!” she exclaimed, after a moment, and abruptly changing the subject, “I almost forgot a part of my errand here. Papa is going to let me give a lawn-party before we go to Newport—and I am going to send out my invitations for two weeks from to-day—I set it for Saturday because you are at liberty so much earlier on that day. Will you come?”

      Gerald’s eyes glowed, and the color mounted to his temples at this evidence of her thought for him. His voice thrilled with repressed emotion as he replied:

      “That was certainly very kind of you, Al—Miss——”

      “Take care, Gerald!” suddenly interposed the fair girl, as she raised a finger menacingly at him. “I will not be ‘missed’ by you—at least”—with a gleam of roguishness in her dancing eyes—“until I am gone for the summer, and then you may miss me as much as you like. See?”

      And, detaching one of the three beautiful pink rosebuds from her corsage, she playfully tossed it at him, and with such unerring aim that it brushed his cheek with its fragrant petals, and then lodged upon his shoulder. Gerald captured it with a hand that tingled in every nerve.

      “Yes, Allison, I see,” he said, smiling into the piquant face. “Thanks for this souvenir—I never saw anything more lovely.”

      But he was not looking at the rose as he spoke—he was gazing straight into the blue eyes of beautiful Allison Brewster.

      “Now will you promise to come to my party?” she asked, rising to go.

      “Yes, if——”

      “ ‘If!’ ” she repeated sharply, a quick flush mantling her face.

      “If there is no extra work to be done and I can get off,” he explained.

      “Of course you can get off on Saturday afternoon,” said the girl impatiently; then added appealingly: “Gerald, you must come—it will just spoil the whole thing for me if you do not. Now, good-by—tell papa I could not wait any longer. I have an appointment with my dressmaker at one, and I have a lot of shopping to do before that.”

      And nodding a smiling adieu to Gerald, she tripped away, while the young man turned to a window and watched her out of sight, a tremulous smile upon his lips, a tender gleam in his handsome brown eyes.

CHAPTER II.

       Table of Contents

“WHATEVER STANDS IN MY PATH!”

       Table of Contents

      “Did she really mean it, I wonder? Would it spoil her party for her if I should not go?” mused Gerald Winchester, as the daintily ruffled skirts of Allison Brewster disappeared around a corner and his glance shifted to the lovely rosebud which he still held, “or is it just her sweet, impulsive way of saying pleasant things to make one feel comfortable and happy?”

      As he concluded this soliloquy, he raised the bud to his lips and bestowed a light caress upon it.

      At the same instant a step behind him caused him to turn suddenly, to find himself again confronted by the sneering face of Mr. John Hubbard.

      “Very pretty! very interesting, truly; but rather a dangerous sentiment, and presumptuous, as well, for a boy to indulge in, with only fifteen dollars a week,” the man sarcastically observed.

      Then without giving Gerald time to reply, had he been so disposed, he added sharply:

      “Have you copied those papers relating to the Wynn estate?”

      “Yes, I have just finished them,” the young man returned, as he took a package from his desk and passed it to his companion, who observed that his hand was trembling and that he had grown very white about the mouth, while there was a gleam of fire in his eyes which betrayed that he was not lacking in spirit, although he was able to hold it under perfect control.

      As John Hubbard took the papers he managed to brush to the floor the rosebud which Gerald had laid upon the desk.

      “Take care, please,” said the young man, and stooping eagerly to recover his treasure.

      But he was not quick enough, for the other ruthlessly set his foot upon it, crushing it flat and destroying all its beauty.

      For a minute the boy and the man stood looking straight into each other’s eyes, their faces as colorless as the collars about their necks.

      “That is typical of what happens to everything that stands in my way; so beware! young beggar, that you do not covet what is beyond your reach,” said John Hubbard menacingly.

      Gerald Winchester’s hands were clenched so fiercely that the nail of every finger turned purple; but his bearing was that of a hero who could face a cannon’s mouth and never flinch.

      Presently he drew in a long, deep breath, his hands relaxed; then he said, as quietly as if he were making the most commonplace observation imaginable:

      “Nothing is unattainable, Mr. Hubbard, to him who is determined to win.”

      “Aha! say you so? You speak with the impulse and inexperience of youth; but, look there, and—be warned,” sneered his companion, as, lifting his foot he made a gesture indicating the mutilated bud.

      Then turning abruptly, he left the office, while Gerald, with a ghastly face and trembling hands, stooped to recover the ruined flower.

      He tenderly gathered up every discolored leaf and petal, arranging them neatly upon a sheet of blank paper, which he carefully folded and placed within an envelope.

      “It СКАЧАТЬ