smile. “Sorry. I am a bit nervy. I’m not accustomed to these alarums and excursions.”
“What’s all the excitement about?”
“Young Wall seems to have some melodramatic notion that I stole his wife from him.”
“Did you?”
“Don’t be absurd. The girl is young enough to be my daughter.” His eyes were wet with embarrassment. “My relations with her have always been perfectly proper.”
“You do know her, then?”
“Of course. I’ve known her for years—much longer than George Wall has. She’s been using the pool for diving practice ever since she was in her teens. She’s not far out of her teens now, as a matter of fact. She can’t be more than twenty-one or two.”
“Who is she?”
“Hester Campbell, the diver. You may have heard of her. She came close to winning the national championship a couple of years ago. Then she dropped out of sight. Her family moved away from here and she gave up amateur competition. I had no idea that she was married, until she turned up here again.”
“When was this?”
“Five or six months ago.
Six
months ago, in June. She seemed to have had quite a bad time of it. She’d toured with an aquacade for a while, lost her job and been stranded in Toronto. Met this young Canadian sportswriter and married him in desperation. Apparently the marriage didn’t work out. She left him after less than a year together, and came back here. She was on her uppers, and rather beaten, spiritually. Naturally I did what I could for her. I persuaded the board to let her use the pool for diving instruction, on a commission basis. She did rather well at that while the summer season lasted. And when she lost her pupils,I’m frank to say I helped her out financially for a bit.” He spread his hands limply. “If that’s a crime, then I’m a criminal.”
“If that’s all there is to it, I don’t see what you’re afraid of.”
“You don’t understand—you don’t understand the position I’m in, the enmities and intrigues I have to contend with here. There’s a faction among the membership who would like to see me discharged. If George Wall made it appear that I was using my place to procure young women—”
“How could he do that?”
“I mean if he brought court action, as he threatened to. An unprincipled lawyer could make some kind of case against me. The girl told me that she planned a divorce, and I suppose I wasn’t thoroughly discreet. I was seen in her company more than once. As a matter of fact, I cooked several dinners for her.” His color rose slightly. “Cooking is one of my hobby-horses. I realize now it wasn’t wise to invite her into my home.”
“He can’t do anything with that. This isn’t the Victorian age.”
“It is in certain circles. You just don’t grasp how precarious my position is. I’m afraid the accusation would be enough.”
“Aren’t you exaggerating?”
“I hope I am. I don’t feel it.”
“My advice to you is, level with Wall. Tell him the facts.”
“I tried to, on the telephone last night. He refused to listen. The man’s insane with jealousy. You’d think I had his wife hidden somewhere.”
“You haven’t, though?”
“Of course not. I haven’t seen her since the early part of September. She left here suddenly without a good-by or a thank-you. She didn’t even leave a forwarding address.”
“Run off with a man?”
“It’s more than likely,” he said.
“Tell Wall that. In person.”
“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly. The man’s a raving maniac, he’d assault me.”
Bassett ran tense fingers through his hair. It was soaked at the temples, and little rivulets ran down in front of his ears. He took the folded handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and wiped his face with it. I began to feel a little sorry for him. Physical cowardice hurts like nothing else.
“I can handle him,” I said. “Call the gate. If he’s still up there, I’ll go and bring him down.”
“Here?”
“Unless you
“What’s all the excitement about?”
“Young Wall seems to have some melodramatic notion that I stole his wife from him.”
“Did you?”
“Don’t be absurd. The girl is young enough to be my daughter.” His eyes were wet with embarrassment. “My relations with her have always been perfectly proper.”
“You do know her, then?”
“Of course. I’ve known her for years—much longer than George Wall has. She’s been using the pool for diving practice ever since she was in her teens. She’s not far out of her teens now, as a matter of fact. She can’t be more than twenty-one or two.”
“Who is she?”
“Hester Campbell, the diver. You may have heard of her. She came close to winning the national championship a couple of years ago. Then she dropped out of sight. Her family moved away from here and she gave up amateur competition. I had no idea that she was married, until she turned up here again.”
“When was this?”
“Five or six months ago.
Six
months ago, in June. She seemed to have had quite a bad time of it. She’d toured with an aquacade for a while, lost her job and been stranded in Toronto. Met this young Canadian sportswriter and married him in desperation. Apparently the marriage didn’t work out. She left him after less than a year together, and came back here. She was on her uppers, and rather beaten, spiritually. Naturally I did what I could for her. I persuaded the board to let her use the pool for diving instruction, on a commission basis. She did rather well at that while the summer season lasted. And when she lost her pupils,I’m frank to say I helped her out financially for a bit.” He spread his hands limply. “If that’s a crime, then I’m a criminal.”
“If that’s all there is to it, I don’t see what you’re afraid of.”
“You don’t understand—you don’t understand the position I’m in, the enmities and intrigues I have to contend with here. There’s a faction among the membership who would like to see me discharged. If George Wall made it appear that I was using my place to procure young women—”
“How could he do that?”
“I mean if he brought court action, as he threatened to. An unprincipled lawyer could make some kind of case against me. The girl told me that she planned a divorce, and I suppose I wasn’t thoroughly discreet. I was seen in her company more than once. As a matter of fact, I cooked several dinners for her.” His color rose slightly. “Cooking is one of my hobby-horses. I realize now it wasn’t wise to invite her into my home.”
“He can’t do anything with that. This isn’t the Victorian age.”
“It is in certain circles. You just don’t grasp how precarious my position is. I’m afraid the accusation would be enough.”
“Aren’t you exaggerating?”
“I hope I am. I don’t feel it.”
“My advice to you is, level with Wall. Tell him the facts.”
“I tried to, on the telephone last night. He refused to listen. The man’s insane with jealousy. You’d think I had his wife hidden somewhere.”
“You haven’t, though?”
“Of course not. I haven’t seen her since the early part of September. She left here suddenly without a good-by or a thank-you. She didn’t even leave a forwarding address.”
“Run off with a man?”
“It’s more than likely,” he said.
“Tell Wall that. In person.”
“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly. The man’s a raving maniac, he’d assault me.”
Bassett ran tense fingers through his hair. It was soaked at the temples, and little rivulets ran down in front of his ears. He took the folded handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and wiped his face with it. I began to feel a little sorry for him. Physical cowardice hurts like nothing else.
“I can handle him,” I said. “Call the gate. If he’s still up there, I’ll go and bring him down.”
“Here?”
“Unless you