THE POSSUM HUNTERS



mentations, and go to the husband for a complete
explanation of the abandonment.
   Caroline was equally anxious to arrange such
 a meeting. She felt quite confident she could
 convince her husband of his error in such hasty
 action, she was equally sure of a perfect control
 over him; always she had led him as she wished,
 surely he would not be so rude as to defend his
 act while facing her. She made the best prepara-
 tion to toilet which was possible under the cir-
 cumstances, and she and her mother were leav-
 ing the house just as the baggage wagon drew up
 in front of the house to deliver their trunks.
 They ordered the trunks held at the station until
 further directions should be given, and hastened
 from the scene without once turning to look at
 the completely abandoned home.
 The meeting occurred in Hughes Randall's pri-
 vate office where he had been deeply engrossed
 in checking the deliveries which has been made
 to the Crosby Tobacco Company during the week
 just past. In perfect control of his emotion,
 courteously poised as a gentleman should be,
 though a veritable iceberg of dignified formality,
 he arose and bowed to the ladies as they were
 ushered in.
 With that perfect control of which the born
 actress is capable, Caroline demeaned herself in
 an attitude of injured innocence, she stepped for-
 ward to make a pleading supplication, but on the
 instant her features were perfectly adjusted to
 a babyish expression she saw something which
 chilled her hope far more than her husband's
 masterly poise; she had hastily searched the room
 to know whether other ears than Hughes Ran-
 dall's would hear her entreaties, she had roted
 that the door between the offices of father and
 son was open, she could see into William Ran-
dall's office, she saw a woman sitting near the



368