aited for her confidently, but that
one defiant flash told him that Virginia had turned against him. She
had thrown in her lot with Blount, and against her lover, and by her
word he must stand or fall. She had been his agent, but if she had not
carried out her trust---- "Any questions you would like to ask," went
on Blount with ponderous calm, "I am sure Virginia will answer."

He turned reassuringly and she nodded her head nervously, then stepped
out and stood facing Wiley.

"It is a question," began Wiley, speaking like one in a dream, "of the
way you paid Mr. Blount that money. When you took it to him first,
before they had talked to you, did you tell him it was my payment on the
option?"

Virginia glanced at Blount, then she took a deep breath and drew herself
up very straight.

"No," she said, "I spoke to him first about buying back father's stock."

"But after that," he said, "didn't you hand him over the money and say
it was sent by me?"

"No, I didn't," she answered. "After the way you had treated me I didn't
think it was right."

"Not right!" he repeated with a slow, dazed smile. "Why--why wasn't it
right, Virginia?"

"Because," she went on, "you were trying to deceive me and beat me and
mother out of our rights. You knew all the time that father's stock was
still ours--and that Mr. Blount never even claimed it!"

"Never claimed it!" cried Wiley, suddenly roused to resentment. "Well,
Virginia, he most certainly did! He offered to sell it to me for five
cents a share when I took out that option on the Paymaster!"

"Now, now, Wiley!" began Blount, but Virginia cut him short with a
scornful wave of the hand.

"Never mind," she said. "I'll attend to this myself. I just want to tell
him what I think!"

"What you _think_!" raved Wiley, suddenly coming up fighting.
"You've been fooled by a bunch of crooks. Never mind what you think--did
you give him the money and tell him it came from me?"

"I did not!" answered Virginia, her eyes flashing with hot anger, "and
while I may not be able to think, I certainly wasn't fooled by
_you_. No, I took your money and put it in the bank, and I let your
option expire!"

"My--God!" moaned Wiley, and groped for the door, but in the hall he
stopped and turned back. There was some mistake--she had not understood.
He slipped back and looked in once more. She was shaking hands with
Blount--and smiling.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE WAY OUT

When a woman treads the w