It is because one day a man from the Durango country
stopped here for a day. He told me he knew you--that you were
cold-blooded and a hard case. Then I knew you hadn't improved after
leaving home. And so you must continue to do Betty's will, and mine.
Do you doubt this is for your own good?
"YOUR FATHER."
When Calumet folded the letter and placed it in a pocket, he leaned his
arms on the table again and regarded Betty intently.
"Do you know what is in this letter?" he said, tapping the pocket into
which he had placed it.
"No."
"There is something missing from the letter, ain't there?"
"Yes," she returned; "a thousand dollars." She passed it over to him.
As before, there were ten one-hundred-dollar bills.
His eyes flashed with mocking triumph. "If you don't know what is in
this letter--if you didn't read it--how do you know that I am to have
this money?" he said.
She silently passed over another envelope and watched him with a smile
of quiet contempt as he removed the contents and read:
"BETTY:--Give Calumet a thousand dollars when you turn over letter
number three to him.
"JAMES MARSTON."
Calumet looked at the envelope; Betty's name was on the face of it.
The triumph in his eyes was succeeded by embarrassment. He looked up
to see Betty's amused gaze on him.
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