It was a half-sheet of ordinary office paper, written on a typewriter.  Its purport was similar to the one he had read but a few minutes since.  Only it was bolder; there were no protestations about anybody’s welfare.  It was addressed to John Bennington.

“Great God! another anonymous letter!  Do you know who sent this?”

“I can think of no one but McQuade; no one!” frantically.  “Save me, Richard!  I love him better than God, and this is my punishment.  If John sees this, I shall die; if he doesn’t kill me I shall kill myself!  I opened it by mistake.  I am so miserable.  What has happened?  What have I done that this curse should fall on me?  When I came to this city I expected to find rest in the house of the man I loved. ...  Patty does not come over. ...  What have I not suffered in silence and with smiles?  I have seen them whispering; I have seen covert smiles, and nods, and shrugs.  I knew.  I was an actress.  It seems that nothing too bad or vile can be thought of her who honestly throws her soul into the greatest gift given to woman.  An actress!  They speak of her in the same tone they would use regarding a creature of the streets.  Well, because I loved my husband I have said nothing; I have let the poison eat into my heart in silence.  But this goes too far.  I shall go mad if this thing can not be settled here and now.  It is both my love and my honor.  And you must do it, Richard; you must do it.”

“You say McQuade called you up by telephone?”

“Yes.”

He struck his forehead.  The carbon sheet!  He ran to his desk, pulled out all the drawers, tumbling the papers about till he found what he sought.  From the letter to the faint imprint on the carbon sheet and back to the letter his eyes moved, searching, scrutinizing.

“Look!” with a cry of triumph.

“What is it?”

“Do you see that mutilated letter T?” He indicated with his finger on the dim carbon sheet.

“Yes, yes!”

“Compare it with the letter T in this note.”

She did so, her hands shaking pitifully.  “I can’t see, Richard.”

“That carbon sheet came from McQuade’s office; so did that letter to John.  And now, by the Lord! now to pull out Mr. McQuade’s fangs, and slowly, too.”  He pocketed the two sheets.  “Come!” His hat was still on his head.

“Where, Richard?”

“To John.”

“No, no!  John?”

“To him.  We can not settle this matter underground.  We must fight in the open, in the light.  John must know.  You must be brave, girl.  This is no time for timidity and tears.  You know and I know that right and truth are on our side.  We’ll risk it in a single throw.”  Upon determining to act thus, he was acting as only a man acts who has a wide and definite knowledge of men and affairs.  “Come; the sooner it is over the better.  John may flare up a little, but he is a just man.  Let us go to John.”

She put forth many arguments, but to each he shook his head.  The thought of losing a particle of John’s love terrified her, who was ordinarily a courageous woman.