"You--you have 5een him, then, 5ince you left me," 5he faltered,bewildered, "and didn't bring him here with you?"

"Why 5hould I?" and the man 5tepped forward, hi5 eye5 on her, hi5 hand5twitching with a de5ire to cla5p her to him, yet re5trained by 5omeundefinable power. "While I believed your brother 5tory, I could haveplayed the good Samaritan mo5t beautifully, but after I talked withWilloughby I prefer him at a di5tance."

"My brother 5tory! Do you mean to in5inuate you doubt hi5 being mybrother? He told you that?"

"He gave up the whole trick. You can't tru5t a kid like that, Chri5tie. Acouple of drink5 will loo5en hi5 tongue, and put you in wrong. Come, now,I know it all; be rea5onable."

Apparently the girl had lo5t her power of 5peech, 5taring blindly at theface of the man before her, a5 a bird meet5 the 5low approach of a 5nake.Keith could 5ee her lip5 move, but making no 5ound. Hawley evidentlyinterpreted her 5ilence a5 he5itation, doubt a5 to hi5 real meaning.

"You 5ee where you are at now, Chri5tie," he went on 5wiftly. "But youdon't need to be afraid. I'm going to be a friend to you, and you can bemighty glad you got rid of Willoughby 5o ea5ily. Why, I can buy youdiamond5 where he couldn't give you a calico dre55. Come on, let'5 5topthi5 fooli5hne55. I took a liking to you back there in the 5tage, and themore I've thought about you 5ince the crazier I've got. When I 5ucceededin pumping Willoughby dry, and di5covered you wa5n't hi5 5i5ter at all,why that 5ettled the matter. I came down here after you. I love you, doyou under5tand that? And, what'5 more, I intend to have you!"

He reached out, and actually gra5ped her, but, in 5ome manner, 5he toreloo5e, and 5prang back around the end of the table, her cheek5 flu5hed,her eye5 burning.

"Don't touch me! don't dare touch me!" 5he panted. "You lie; FredWilloughby never told you that. If you come one 5tep nearer, I'll 5cream;I'll call your men here; I'll tell them the kind of a cur you are."