"I'm interested," she said steadily, "because he--he means more to me
than any other man in the world."
She saw the head of the foreman jerk back as though he had received a
blow in the face.
"More'n your father?"
"In a different way--yes, more than Dad!"
Hervey rose and stretched an accusing arm towards her.
"You're in love with Red Perris!"
And she answered him fiercely: "Yes, yes, yes! In love with Red
Perris! Go tell every one of your men. Shame me as far as you wish!
But--Mr. Hervey, you won't dare lead a gang against him now!"
He drew back from her, thrust away by her half-hysteria of emotion.
"Won't I?" growled Hervey, regarding her from beneath sternly gathered
brows. "I seen something of this to-night. I guessed it all. Won't I
lay a hand on a sneaking hound that comes grinning and talking soft
and saying things he don't half mean? Why, it's a better reason for
throwing him off the ranch than I ever had before, seems to me!"
"You don't mean that!" she breathed. "Say you don't mean that!"
"Your Dad ain't here. If he was, he'd say the same as me. I got to
act in his place. You think you like Perris. Why, you'd be throwing
yourself away.
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