"
"My God," breathed Keith hopelessly, "I meant it."
"Sure you did, Johnny. I knew it. But I didn't dare let HER know it. If
you could ha' seen that pretty mouth o' hern curlin' up as if she'd
liked to have bit open your throat, an' her hands clenched, an' that
murder in her eyes--Man, I lied to her then! I told her I was after
you, an' that if she wouldn't put the police on you, I'd bring back
your head to her, as they used to do in the old times. An' she bit.
Yes, sir, she said to me, 'If you'll do that, I won't say a word to the
police!' An' here I am, Johnny. An' if I keep my word with that little
tiger, I've got to shoot you right now. Haw! Haw!"
Keith had turned his face away.
Duggan, pulling him about by the shoulders, opened his eyes wide in
amazement.--"Johnny--"
"Maybe you don't understand, Andy," struggled Keith. "I'm sorry--she
feels--like that."
For a moment Duggan was silent. Then he exploded with a sudden curse.
"SORRY! What the devil you sorry for, Johnny? You treated her square,
an' you left her almost all of Conniston's money. She ain't no kick
comin', and she ain't no reason for feelin' like she does. Let 'er go
to the devil, I say. She's pretty an' sweet an' all that--but when
anybody wants to go clawin' your heart out, don't be fool enough to
feel sorry about it.
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