"
"You mean to--" Her eyes widened with horror.
"I reckon," he said. "Did you think I was runnin' away without
squarin' things with them?" There was a threat of death in his cold
laugh.
While she stood with clenched hands, evidently moved by the threat in
his manner and words, he said "So-long," shortly, and swung the door
open.
She followed three or four steps, again calling upon him to "wait." He
turned in the doorway and went slowly back to her. She was nervous,
breathless, and he looked wonderingly at her.
"Wait just a minute," she said; "I have something to give you."
She darted into the sitting-room; he could hear her running up the
stairs. She was gone a long time, so long a time that he grew
impatient and paced the floor with long, hasty strides. He was certain
that it was fully five minutes before she reappeared, and then her
manner was more nervous than ever.
"You act," he said suspiciously, "as though you wanted to keep me here."
"No, no," she denied breathlessly, her eyes bright and her cheeks
aflame. "How can you think that? I have brought you some money; you
will need it." She had a leather bag in her hands, and she seized it
by the bottom and turned out its contents--a score or more of
twenty-dollar gold pieces.
"Take them," she said as he hesitated.
Pages:
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261