A second time Tory was beginning to protest and reproach Kara for her unreasonable attitude, but a warning glance from Dorothy McClain restrained her.
Kara’s color, her cheerful expression had vanished. She was white and exhausted.
“If you don’t mind, I think I would like to go back to the hospital; I am tired all of a sudden,” she remarked.
She had insisted that Kara be told the peculiar circumstances she had just related, arguing that she would receive the information in her usual sensible and matter-of-fact fashion.
Kara had been through too much suffering and anxiety since her accident the summer before to have any new problem presented to her. Should they have waited until she was stronger? Tory was not sure.
She put her arm about the slender figure.
“Do try not to think any more of what we have been talking about for the present, Kara. It is my fault, I wanted you to hear. If you don’t like Mr. Moore you need not have anything to do with him. You have friends enough if he never had been heard of! I shall hate it if he does more for you than we can. Just the same I think you had best know that Mr. Moore has seen the letters. Mr. Hammond showed them to him. They were ordinary friendly letters he had written your mother from time to time, not important, and thinks he must have thrown them into the fire with the idea of burning them. There is no question that the letters were written by him, as his handwriting is exactly the same.”
“Do you think it my duty to see this Mr. Moore, Dorothy? I know what Tory will say,” Kara inquired when they were within a block of their destination. “Can you imagine anything more disappointing than for a man of the kind Lance describes, cultured, musical, of a distinguished family, to have to devote any time or thought to so insignificant a person as I am? There is _one_ consolation, he is sure to like me even less than I shall like him.”
“I would not trouble. I would not see Mr. Moore for the present, Kara dear,” Dorothy answered in a calm and reassuring tone. “In any case you must talk the matter over with father before you decide. He is coming to see you after dinner to-night, as he must return to Westhaven in the morning. If you do conclude to see Mr. Moore, why, I would not for days and days until I was in exactly the right mood.”