Fighting Byng: A Novel of Mystery, Intrigue and Adventure

by A. Stone

  CHAPTER X

  I saw Byng's wife some three years later. I had heard disquieting newsof Byng & Potter, now incorporated, but having confidence in Howard'sability to pull through almost anything, I dismissed the matter frommy mind, for I was immersed with intensely interesting responsibilitiesof my own. Eight years' successful work in the Counterfeit Division hadlaid the foundation. I was now going to Europe in a more confidentialcapacity even than ambassadors might enjoy! The evening before sailingI was entering my hotel, much preoccupied, when I was plucked anxiouslyby the sleeve. It took more than a glance to recognize Norma Byng.

  "I have been looking for you a long time," she began, suppressing herintense excitement. "You--you--I want to see you so badly----"

  She actually clung to me as I led her to a secluded spot in theladies' parlor. Her excitement was unfeigned and I was anxious tolearn what had happened to Howard Byng's beautiful wife. Manifestlyshe was in distress. Firm of step and courageous, she was stillcomely, but in severely plain attire. There was an absence of deep redin her lips, but the upward curves at the corners of her pretty mouthwere there, contradicting the sadness and evident weariness of soulthat showed in her eyes.

  "Mr. Wood," she began, still struggling for calmness after we wereseated, "I have fruitlessly used every means to find you, and to comeupon you so unexpectedly quite upsets me. Perhaps--perhaps I was rude.I believe--I know you are big enough to understand," she said, hereyes now devouringly aflame.

  I must have looked greatly perplexed, and, before I could formulate areply, she exclaimed:

  "You are the one man Howard trusted implicitly--don't youknow--haven't you heard?"

  "No, I have heard nothing authentic of him since our dinner party atthe Waldorf three years ago," I managed to say.

  "Oh, most terrible things have happened since then. Will you--have youtime for me to tell you?" she pleaded, her hands clasped imploringly."Can't we," she added, anxiously glancing over to a spooning couple bythe window, "can't we go to some less public place?"

  "It is time for dinner; if you will join me I will find a place wherewe will not be disturbed."

  "Oh, I will be so glad! I _must_ tell someone who will understandand--and maybe you can do something," she added, searching my eyeswith a quick glance.

  It was early evening and I was able to get my favorite waiter andalcove seat in the dining-room.

  "Now, Mrs. Byng----"

  "Call me Norma--please do," she interrupted, "I like the way youpronounce it, and I crave--I--I want some one to be fatherly to me--doyou know, I have lost both my parents in the last three years? I--I amquite alone."

  "Well, then, Norma, food both quiets and stimulates. First, let useat, and while we do, forget yourself, and all of your troubles.Afterward you can tell me your story--I am anxious to hear it. Whilewe dine please relate some of the pleasant, delightful things, thosefor which you are thankful, that happened since I last saw you." Iurged all this solicitously. I could not keep my eyes off thebeautiful woman, beautiful indeed, though it was evident she had beenthrough some terrible ordeal--the melting fires which refine, and makeperfect.

  "I do think your idea is more appropriate," she replied with a faintsmile at my evident purpose. "It was like you to suggest it. Howardoften told me you did things differently. But isn't it strange I wasnever asked that before?--and how sensible. Let me see--I will have tothink. Perhaps, ungratefully I have never tried to enumerate them,and I might have done so with pleasure to myself." I didn't interrupt,for she was smiling now. "First of all--well, I should be trulythankful that I have good health."

  "Fine!" I exclaimed, "that's worth a million, and there's a hundredthousand women who would pay that for health and another million foryour wonderful hair!"

  "Perhaps so--then I have gainful employment compelling attention toothers' problems which has taught me values in useful effort, broughtme a few friends, uninfluenced by mere money. I should have perishedwithout them," she added, yet inclined to revert.

  "That's splendid, go ahead," I encouraged, trying to fathom the natureof Byng's disaster.

  "And--I have not lost faith in human kind, and still believe the worldmostly good."

  "That's still greater; you will make yourself happy yet. Nothing beatsinvoicing our blessings occasionally."

  "Then you know, a short time after your visit there came a little girland the year that followed I could not have been happier, but----" andher lips began to quiver and she looked at me imploringly.

  "There you go: remember only pleasant things yet," I cautioned.

  "That's so--that's so--well, she was christened Norma, but Howardalways called her 'Little Jim'; said that was the kind of a name youwould like. At the christening you were named her godfather."

  "He honored me----" And recovering from the surprise I continued,"Reproducing our kind is of the greatest use, and naturally yields thegreatest pleasure. Of course, you were happy? Does that end your listof benefactions?"

  She struggled hard for composure. She was still delightfullyunconscious of her physical charms.

  "That's all I can think of now, unless, perhaps, that I still love myhusband so much that the lure of men, to a lone, and, in a sense,deposed woman, is transparent and childishly laughable. This hasenabled me to keep my womanhood as it should be," she added quietly, asoft glow spreading over her face. I was mystified.

  "You have some big items on the credit side of the ledger; now for redink--but, remember, no tears. You are brave and I don't like to see abrave woman cry. Tell me about everything as though it happened toanother, and you a mere witness. Something has happened that was apart of your destiny. You will come to look at it that way later."

  "Mr. Wood, you are encouraging and helpful. I will try to be brave butyou will not think badly of me if I fail--will you?" she pleadedacross the table, full, honest, fearless, glorious, but after all, awoman. No one could have resisted her appeal.

  "I have thought of my situation so much I hardly know where to beginto make the fearful enormity of it intelligible to you. It involvesbusiness of which I know so little I have never tried to tell itbefore. No one would understand. I have no confidants. But I knew Iwould find you some time and somehow I thought it would be such arelief to tell you. I know you will understand!"

  "Begin at the middle, anywhere--I'll understand. Take your time; butrecollect, this happened to someone else." I insisted, to keep herconfident and resolute.

  "It appears," she began slowly, "you advised Howard against the bondissue to build the railroad. He took a strong stand against it atfirst, but father and Mr. Potter finally wore him down and won himover. It was done. This compelled his being in Georgia for almost ayear." I nodded.

  "A Mr. Ramund was introduced by the bank to take the bonds and hefinally came into our homes, welcomed especially by my sister, Mrs.Potter, who was attracted by the glitter of his high position in thefinancial world. He spoke several languages and was what many wouldcall handsome and polished. To me he was a male person whosesincerity I doubted, but my sister bowed low and endeavored constantlyto throw him in my way. I tolerated him, but soon began to look uponhim as a possible source of serious trouble."

  "The railroad was built, I take it?" I queried.

  "The railroad was built and cost more than expected. Howard was barelyat home again when there were ominous signs in the business world thatupset him. He was not the same man. Then came fearful and dreadfultimes. I shudder when I recall them. With the change of administrationcame the crashing panic. Once, during the negotiations with the bank,he told me you had warned him against large borrowing. You were right.Heavy loans from the bank were called seemingly as though part of aplan to get the property. I believe it was. Through it all Howard waskind and affectionate, except when wild, savage moods came on. Hewould sometimes look the way he did that morning when he carried meaway from that terrible island in Georgia. In an incredibly short timethe bonds were foreclosed and the bank took the plant andall--everything Howard owne
d. We were absolutely penniless and had tosacrifice our beautiful home for ready funds. I went to mother. Fatherlost everything also. It killed him, and mother soon followed."

  I was shocked at this news but silently awaited her effort to composeherself.

  "Howard went to Georgia. At least, he said he was going there," shecontinued with an effort. "Then the serpent in this Ramund wasunmasked. He became boldly insistent."

  Norma hesitated. I could see that the real crux of her story was athand. "Yes?" said I, gently.

  "Urged by my sister, I went to his hotel on the representation that hecould and would do something to enable Howard to regain control andfinally save his property--the result of his life's labors. You canunderstand how I wanted to help Howard. Mr. Ramund said the hotelparlor was too public, and asked me to his suite. Obsessed by suchintense desire to save my husband, and having so little worldlyknowledge, I indiscreetly went. After a little talk on the businessmatter, this man began to offer protestations of love for me, and toldme, brazenly, how much more he could do for me than a bankrupt,discredited husband. Insulted, shocked, and stunned into sheernumbness, which he mistook for silent consent, he grasped me bodily,embraced me and kissed me violently before I could recover. Then thedoor opened and Howard entered--quiet, fierce, determined. It seems inretrospect a part of a play. With wonderfully polite self-control he,as though requesting an ordinary favor, asked me to please run onhome.

  "What happened after I left I never knew. Fearful of a great tragedy,and with a sense of injury and mortification, I walked all the way. Iwas actually afraid to go home. When I finally plucked up sufficientcourage to do so, I found he had been there and taken little Jim. Ihave not heard of them since." It was some moments before she couldquiet down, after her painful recital.

  "The bank is running the plant now?" I asked, turning away from thesubject she had voluntarily introduced. I was through with it. I couldsee the villainy and perfidy behind Ramund's action. I knew what Iwould have done were I in Howard Byng's place and I afterward learnedthat he did that very thing.

  "Yes--but there is something wrong," she replied. "It does notprosper. My father's entire fortune went along with the crash. Mr.Potter returned to a bank clerkship where he was when he marriedsister. She blames me, attributing the disaster to my attitude towardMr. Ramund, raved about my senseless scruples, and still resists allmy attempts at reconciliation. She apparently loves only money. So,you see, I am quite alone. Do you--do you think of any possible way tofind my husband and child?" she asked in whispered agony. "You know hetook little Jim, then only a year old, because--because--he thought meunfit. I am terribly depressed at times for fear they may be dead. Iwould have found them if living. He may have done something terribleand had to go. I have tried every way within my meager means to findthem. Do you think you can help me?" she implored, reaching out herhands toward me.

  "I might, but I sail for Europe to-morrow. I am compelled to go." Mywords sounded brutal to my own ears after such an appeal.

  "Isn't there--isn't there something you can suggest?"

  I meditated for some minutes. Howard Byng, if not desperate enough todestroy himself and child, would go back to the pine woods of hisbirth, I reasoned. Finally I said, "I will give you a letter to afriend of mine in the Excise Department, who travels the turpentinecountry constantly. He might get trace of him. Howard would returnthere if living."

  "That's so. I never thought of that before. As lowly as was his startin life, he never ceased loving the woods," she recalled,brightening. "How long will you be away?"

  Knowing the disappointment the truth would bring to her, I answeredambiguously. "I hardly know. One never can tell, but I hope not verylong. Meanwhile keep up a stout heart. Everything straightens out intime. Keep busy, don't brood, be brave." I will never forget howforlorn she looked as she bade me good-bye. If she had known I wouldbe away for several years she would have broken down completely. Shefelt that I could help her.

  I gave her a letter to Charlie Haines, and that was the last I saw ofNorma Byng for eight or nine years. Charlie told me that he spentthree or four years beating every pine bush in the South withoutresults, and, moreover, that he had somehow lost track of Mrs. Byng.He decided she had married again, as she was too attractive to staysingle. Eight or nine years work wonderful changes in any life. Itappeared to me that Charlie might be right.