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here, I think that you should know that there are such stories which you may wish to investigate.
One such is that Mrs. Harley leaves her child in the care of strangers while she goes off on excursions with a man. I think you ought to look into this matter before it is too late.
A Sincere Friend.
It was a feeble shot. Nevertheless, it might have wrought infinite damage—or have repaired a breach—had it reached the man for whom it was intended.
Patricia read it through twice. Its cowardice seemed not to occur to her. She saw in it only a possible truth, and black bitterness enveloped her thoughts.
Here was the true explanation of Grace’s presence in Hastings at the moment of the shake, when Joan had been killed in Napier. The body found with Joan’s had been one of the strangers mentioned here. Grace had been away on an “excursion” with a man.
Her excuse that she went to purchase a middy suit for Joan was simply—an excuse. An excuse to meet the man—possibly a Hastings man.
Patricia laughed aloud—a cautious, hard laugh.
Grace had consoled herself very quickly. More than possibly she had found a lover before her husband had turned from her. That would account for her readiness to run away at the first sign of unfaithfulness in Jimmy.
Of course! They had been blind not to see it!
Grace, for all her meek, quiet little ways, had found a lover. It was the old story of still waters running deep.
And to think of all the sympathy, the bitter heart-aches, the agony of weeks, which had been wasted upon her! How she must have laughed in secret!
She had run off with her lover, knowing that her husband would be ready to provide her with all the money she would need—to live in comfort with her man.