ation.

"How dare you!" she exclaimed passionately, all fear leaving her in
sudden resentment. "You think me alone here and helpless; that you can
insult me at your pleasure. Don't go too far, Mr. Hawley. I know what
you are now, and it makes no difference what you may think of me, or
call me; you 'll find me perfectly able to defend myself."

"Oh, indeed!" sneeringly, "you are melodramatic; you should have been an
actress instead of a singer. But you waste your talent out here on me.
Do you imagine I fear either you, or your precious brother? Why, I could
have him hung to-morrow."

She was staring at him with wide open eyes, her face white.

"What--what do you mean? What has Fred done?"

He was cold and sarcastic.

"That makes no difference; it is what I could induce men to swear he had
done. It's easy enough to convict in this country, if you only know how.
I simply tell you this, so you won't press me too hard. Puritanism
is out of place west of the Missouri, especially among ladies of your
profession. Oh, come, now, Christie, don't try to put such airs on with
me. I know who you are, all right, and can guess why you are hunting
after Fred Willoughby. I pumped the boy, and got most of the truth out
of him."

"You--you have seen him, then, since you left me," she faltered,
bewildered, "and didn't bring him here with you?"

"Why should I?" and the man stepped forward, his eyes on her, his hands
twitching with a desire to clasp her to him, yet restrained by some
undefinable power. "While I believed your brother story, I could have
played the good Samaritan most beautifully, but after I talked with
Willoughby I prefer him at a distance."

"My brother story! Do you mean to insinuate you doubt his being my
brother? He told you that?"

"He gave up the whole trick. You can't trust a kid like that, Christie.
A couple of drinks will loosen his tongue, and put you in wrong. Come,
now, I know it all; be reasonable."

Apparently the girl had lost her power of speech, staring blindly at
the face of the man before her, as a bird meets the slow approach of
a snake. Keith could see her lips move, but making no sound. Hawley
evidently interpreted her silence as hesitation, doubt as to his real
meaning.

"You see where you are at now, Christie," he went on swiftly. "But you
don't need to be afraid. I'm going to be a friend to you, and you can
be mighty glad you got rid of Willoughby so easily. Why, I can buy you
diamond