"I should not have asked."
And so he remained the blind man, with the light shining full into his
eyes.
CHAPTER XXIX
The Mysterious Questioner
July brought Rosalie's visit to an end, and once more Tinkletown basked
in her smiles and yet wondered why they were so sad and wistful. She and
Bonner were much nearer, far dearer to one another than ever, and yet
not one effort had been made to bridge the chasm of silence concerning
the thing that lay uppermost in their minds. She only knew that Anderson
Crow had not "run down" his clew, nor had the New York sleuth reported
for weeks. Undoubtedly, the latter had given up the search, for the last
heard of him was when he left for Europe with his wife for a pleasure
trip of unknown duration. It looked so dark and hopeless to her, all of
it. Had Bonner pressed his demands upon her at the end of the visit in
Boston, it is possible--more than possible--that she would have faltered
in her resolution. After all, why should she deprive herself of
happiness if it was held out to her with the promise that it should
never end?
The summer turned steaming hot in the lowlands about Tinkletown, but in
the great hills across the river the air was cool, bright, and
invigorating. People began to hurry to their country homes from the
distant cities. Before the month was old, a score or more of beautiful
places were opened and filled with the sons and daughters of the rich.
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