XXIX
HOME AGAIN
On his way to the depot, Sweetwater went into the Herald office andbought a morning paper. At the station he opened it. There was onecolumn devoted to the wreck of the Hesper, and a whole half-page to theproceedings of the third day's inquiry into the cause and manner ofAgatha Webb's death. Merely noting that his name was mentioned among thelost, in the first article, he began to read the latter with justifiableeagerness. The assurance given in Captain Wattles's letter was true. Nodirect suspicion had as yet fallen on Frederick. As the lover of AmabelPage, his name was necessarily mentioned, but neither in the account ofthe inquest nor in the editorials on the subject could he find any proofthat either the public or police had got hold of the great idea that hewas the man who had preceded Amabel to Agatha's cottage. Relieved onthis score, Sweetwater entered more fully into the particulars, andfound that though the jury had sat three days, very little more had cometo light than was known on the morning he made that bold dash into theHesper. Most of the witnesses had given in their testimony, Amabel'sbeing the chief, and though no open accusation had been made, it wasevident from the trend of the questions put to the latter that Amabel'sconnection with the affair was looked upon as criminal and as placingher in a very suspicious light. Her replies, however, as once before,under a similar but less formal examination, failed to convey anyrecognition on her part either of this suspicion or of her own position;yet they were not exactly frank, and Sweetwater saw, or thought he saw(naturally failing to have a key to the situation), that she was stillworking upon her old plan of saving both herself and Frederick, bythrowing whatever suspicion her words might raise upon the deceasedZabel. He did not know, and perhaps it was just as well that he did notat this especial juncture, that she was only biding her time--now verynearly at hand--and that instead of loving Frederick, she hated him, andwas determined upon his destruction. Reading, as a final clause, thatMr. Sutherland was expected to testify soon in explanation of hisposition as executor of Mrs. Webb's will, Sweetwater grew very serious,and, while no change took place in his mind as to his present duty, hedecided that his return must be as unobtrusive as possible, and his onlytoo timely reappearance on the scene of the inquiry kept secret till Mr.Sutherland had given his evidence and retired from under the eyes of hisexcited fellow-citizens.
"The sight of me might unnerve him," was Sweetwater's thought,"precipitating the very catastrophe we dread. One look, one word on hispart indicative of his inner apprehensions that his son had a hand inthe crime which has so benefited him, and nothing can save Frederickfrom the charge of murder. Not Knapp's skill, my silence, or Amabel'sfinesse. The young man will be lost."
He did not know, as we do, that Amabel's finesse was devoted to winninga husband for herself, and that, in the event of failure, the action shethreatened against her quondam lover would be precipitated that very dayat the moment when the clock struck twelve.
. . . . . .
Sweetwater arrived home by the way of Portchester. He had seen one ortwo persons he knew, but, so far, had himself escaped recognition. Themorning light was dimly breaking when he strode into the outskirts ofSutherlandtown and began to descend the hill. As he passed Mr.Halliday's house he looked up, and was astonished to see a light burningin one deeply embowered window. Alas! he did not know how early oneanxious heart woke during those troublous days. The Sutherland house wasdark, but as he crept very close under its overhanging eaves he heard adeep sigh uttered over his head, and knew that someone was up here alsoin anxious expectation of a day that was destined to hold more than evenhe anticipated.
Meanwhile, the sea grew rosy, and the mother's cottage was as yet faroff. Hurrying on, he came at last under the eye of more than one of theearly risers of Sutherlandtown.
"What, Sweetwater! Alive and well!"
"Hey, Sweetwater, we thought you were lost on the Hesper!"
"Halloo! Home in time to see the pretty Amabel arrested?" Phrases likethese met him at more than one corner; but he eluded them all, stoppingonly to put one hesitating question. Was his mother well?
Home fears had made themselves felt with his near approach to thathumble cottage door.