I had not touched
a drop for nearly three months. The temptation was too strong there, so
I got out of it. Then I looked up Barnum to get a job as ringmaster. I
was going under the name of Bradford. Somehow nobody would trust me.
They knew me. Joey Noakes came through the West with a pantomime show
about that time. He told me you were in Europe. First thing I'd heard
of you, that was, Mary. Then he told me you'd got your money out of
Grand, legitimately, he swore. I didn't believe him. I thought there
had been some shinanigan. I stood it as long as I could, and then I
broke for New York. You see, girlie--I mean Mary, I'd done for you in a
nasty way. I practically handed you to him. You--well, we won't go into
that."
"No," she said, very pale, "we must not go into that, Tom. You sold me
with the show. I--I can never forgive you for that."
"I'm not asking forgiveness, am I?" he cried harshly. "I'm just
tellin' you, that's all. Well, I came down here to kill him three
years ago. I knew you hated him. If you gave in it wasn't because you
wanted to, but because I'd fixed it so's you couldn't very well get
out of it.
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