At the denouement of the sheriff's
story there should have been the barking of two guns and a film of
gunpowder smoke should have gone tangling to the ceiling. Instead there
had been the formal little speech from Terry--and then quiet. Yet he had
to mask and control his bitterness; he had to watch his tongue in talking
with his sister.
"You see," he said quietly, "they don't understand. They can't see how
fine Terry is in having made no attempt to avenge the death of his
father. I suppose a few of them think he's a coward. I even heard a
little talk to that effect!"
"Impossible!" cried Elizabeth.
She had not thought of this phase of the matter. All at once she hated
the sheriff.
"It really is possible," said Vance. "You see, it's known that Terry
never fights if he can avoid it. There never has been any real reason for
fighting until today. But you know how gossip will put the most unrelated
facts together, and make a complete story in some way."
"I wish the sheriff were dead!" moaned Elizabeth. "Oh, Vance, if you only
hadn't gone near Craterville! If you only hadn't distributed those
wholesale invitations!"
It was almost too much for Vance--to be reproached after so much of the
triumph was on her side--such a complete victory that she herself would
never dream of the peril she and Terry had escaped.
Pages:
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128