Part 34 (2/2)
the boy continued. ”Do you know the nature of Millard's offense?”
”No-o-o-o; that is, not exactly.”
”Do you wish me to tell you?”
”Why--he--he--told me it was some dispute over international affairs,”
stammered the young woman.
”Do you feel yourself a loyal American?” asked Jack, looking at her curiously.
”Yes!” she answered, without an instant's hesitation, looking straight into his eyes, almost defiantly.
”And you love this man, Millard?”
”Yes!” Yet her declaration was not so emphatic as it would have been a few moments before.
Jack Benson sighed.
”Would you love a man who had betrayed his country's flag?” he asked, presently, in a very low voice.
”Has Don--has the man you know as Millard offered to do that?”
It was not suspicion, but incredulity that rang in her voice.
Jack Benson knew, now, that he was dealing with a woman who knew herself to be a patriot--a lover of her country.
”I don't know that I have any right to say anything,” Jack answered, evasively. ”Mr. Millard is a civil engineer, isn't he?”
”Yes, and a mechanical engineer, too,” the girl admitted, without attempt at concealment ”As you also doubtless know, he served, once, with a revolutionary army in Guatemala. It is in some sort of sc.r.a.pe like this that he finds him self now. Some trouble that he has gotten himself into with this government in order to befriend the revolutionists of some Central American republic.”
”Did Millard tell you so?” demanded Jack Benson, his eyes now very wide open.
”He let me believe as much,” the girl replied, one hand toying with a fold of her dress, while she glanced down. ”And that is the truth, is it not?”
”No!” broke, half-angrily, from young Benson. The pa.s.sion would have rung in his denial, but he remembered that he was talking to this girl about her betrothed husband.
”You spoke of the Flag a moment ago,” cried the girl, suddenly, and gazing searchingly into the boy's eyes. ”Do you mean to tell me that Don--that Mr. Millard would be engaged in any work hostile to his own country?”
”Is the one we call Millard an American citizen?” asked Benson.
”Yes.”
”Then--”
Jack came to an abrupt stop after that one word. He would not tell the dreadful news to this spirited young woman. It was not necessary.
But she became insistent
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