"I will not tell Christine, Tom," she said evenly, meeting the look
with a gaze so steady that he bristled for a moment, but gave way
before it. He felt the scorn and laughed shortly in his attempt to
convince himself, at least, that he did not deserve it.
"And just to show you that I'm honest in this business," he went on
hurriedly, "I'm going to begin by paying you the fifty I still owe on
your salary, Joey. That's the kind of a man I am. I do what I say I'll
do. Here's your fifty, Joey."
"Not that kind of money for me, thank you," said Grinaldi, with a
scowl that brought his painted eyebrows together. He turned on his
heel and hurried into the dressing-room, unable to restrain the words
that would have cut the heart of the man's wife to shreds.
An attendant came in from the circus tent just as Christine Braddock
emerged from the dressing-room alone. David was stuffing the purse
inside the loose shirt that he wore. The girl hurried to her mother's
side.
"Are they going to--to take him?" she whispered fearfully.
David saw the sweet, clean lips tremble. Her eyes were wide and dry
with trouble.
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