Why dont you offer to give me a
thousanddollars?
I told Jake he betterframe it and hang it up as a
warnin. He was here when I gothere and him and Jim was havin a kind of sharp
argument, seemedso.
The only answer to the question was onewhich he did
not like to consider.
Butit was off and away again a moment later. Heknew
Peter Hall by this time very well indeed, knew his faults aswell as his virtues. I
might as well have yoursas anybody elses.
Thatstock of yours is worth somethin, you
know.
Why will you persist in treating me asif I were a
child? No, nothing to do with what weve beentalking about. You ought to; youve lived
in Wapatomac seven or eight years. Hall was not a broad-minded man, not a bigman,
although he made a perfectly capable bank cashier. I know you are doing thisjust to
help me and for no other reason. All I said was thatfolks are talkin about the way
Peter Hall is chasin after MaryBrewster. Would you be willin to sell me your
Boroda,Mary?
You was the one thatsaid youd been meetin her. He
made that perfectly clear to Azure Crisp when she opened thedoor in response to his
knock. I told Capn Dave I rather guessed you wasgoin out this evenin, she explained.
He had not expected confession so soon, had even wondered if shewould confess at
all. Briggs was now as averse to dangerous topicsof that kind as was his employer.
Captain Cummings gave me to understand that noinfluence was needed, she said. She
might smile at first, but later she would be offended. Iwas ashamed to have you know
I was such an idiot.
He was her sheet anchor; he had never forgottenher
calling him that. She was not looking at him but atthe new arrival.
She supposed Azure to have gone to bed, but not a
bit of it. Whats made you so high and mighty all to once?
She looked at him as if shethought he must be
joking. Hall did not answer the question, immediately. Sounds a little like keepin
company, dontit?
Hall revealed the secret of his
information.
No need for any outsiders to know what has beengoin
on.