Part 33 (2/2)
Bill had divested himself of the scowl He smiled as a man who has solved some knotty problem to his entire satisfaction Moreover, he bore no h-and-tu was in perfect order, his tie and collar properly arranged, as a gentleman's tie and collar should be
For athe _Herald_ story a pure canard But as he walked across the rooaze discovered that the knuckles of both his hands were bruised and bloody, the skin broken She picked up the paper
”Is this true?” she asked tre headlines
Bill frowned
”Substantially correct,” he answered coolly
”Bill, how could you?” she cried ”It's si in public like any saloon loafer, and getting in jail and all Haven't you any consideration for lint
”Yes,” he said deliberately ”I have Pride in my word as a ered crooks to et the worst of it in that way I won't allow myself to be tarred with their stick”
”But they're not trying to give you the worst of it,” she burst out
Visions of utter humiliation arose to confront and madden her ”You've insulted and abused our best friends--to say nothing of giving us all the benefit of newspaper scandal We'll be notorious!”
”Best friends? God save the mark!” he snorted contemptuously ”Our best friends, as you please to call them, are crooks, thieves, and liars They're rotten They stink with their ood business”
”Just because their business ree with your peculiar ideas is no reason why you should call names,” she flared ”Mr Brooks called just after you left at noon _He_ toldabout this, and assured me that you would find yourself mistaken if you'd only take pains to think it over I don't believe suchcrooked Even if the opportunity offered, they have too much at stake in this community They couldn't afford to be crooked”
”So Brooks came around to talk it over with you, eh?” Bill sneered
”Told you it was all on the square, did he? Explained it all very plausibly, I suppose Probably suggested that you try s me down, too It would be like 'e business,” Hazel replied defensively ”And I can't see why you find it necessary toand crookedness coets theirabout your oldwith people who are not used to that sort of brute action--and the horrid things they'll say and think about us”
”About you, youyou raw,” Bill flung out passionately ”You're acquiring the class psychology good and fast Did you ever think of anybody but yourself?
Have I ever betrayed symptoms of idiocy? Do you think it natural or even likely for me to raise the devil in a business affair like this out of sheer ical basis for any position I take? Yet you don't wait or ask for any explanation from _me_ You stand instinctively with the crowd that has swept you off your feet in the last six ht and I' to heardoo or threeunder arrest as much as thirty race Disgrace to you! It's all you--you! How do you suppose it strikes ment like that? It shows a heap of faith and trust and loyalty, doesn't it? Oh, it lad of my mate It does By thunder, if Granville had ever treatedto your own account, I'd wipe my feet on thean hesitatingly She was thoroughly startled at the s wrath that flared out in this speech of his
She bitterly resented being talked to in that fashi+on It was unjust
Particularly that last fling And she was not taking sides She refused to ad consciousness that her attitude could scarcely be construed otherwise
”I'll explain nothing,” Bill flashed stor I' to act I refuse to be raked over the coals like a naughty child, and then asked to tell why I did it I'oing to take the kinks out of this Free Gold deal inside of forty-eight hours Then I'ht shy of a breed of dogs who lose every sense of square dealing when there is a bunch of ht I shall be ready to leave here within a week And I want you to be ready, too”
”I won't,” she cried, on the verge of hysterics ”I won't go back to that cursed silence and loneliness You o back to Pine River, or the Klappan I won't, I tell you!”
Bill stared at her moodily for a second