CHAPTER XIV
STELLA PROVES OBSTINATE
Littleson reached the hotel where Stella lived just in time to find the
hall full of her trunks, and Stella herself, in dark travelling clothes
and heavily veiled, in the act of saying farewell to the manager. He
came up to her eagerly.
"I seem to be just in time, Miss Duge," he said. "You are going away?"
"I am certainly going away," she answered. "Did you wish to see me?"
Her manner took him a little aback. Nevertheless he reflected that there
were a good many people within hearing, and she was right to
be cautious.
"Can I have three words with you?" he begged, "alone, anywhere?"
She led him into a sitting-room, which was fortunately empty.
"Well," she said, continuing to draw on her gloves, "what do you want,
Mr. Littleson?"
"You know very well what I want," he answered quickly. "I have my
cheque-book in my pocket, and I am ready to pay over the hundred
thousand dollars. I know that you have the paper. If you like to wait
for ten minutes, you can have the money in dollars."
"How do you know that I have the paper?" she asked calmly.
"Your cousin, Miss Virginia, has been to our office," he answered.
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