I know the boy,
if that's what you mean."
"It ain't." She considered him again. And again she was secretly pleased
to see him stir under the cool probe of her eyes. "How long did you live
with Terry?"
"He was with us twenty-four years." He turned and explained casually to
Waters. "He was taken in as a foundling, you know. Quite against my
advice. And then, at the end of the twenty-four years, the bad blood of
his father came out, and he showed himself in his true colors. Fearful
waste of time to us all--of course, we had to turn him out."
"Of course," nodded Waters sympathetically, and he looked wistfully down
at his blueprint.
"Twenty-four years you lived with Terry," said the girl softly, "and you
don't like him, I see."
Instantly and forever he was damned in her eyes. Anyone who could live
twenty-four years with Terry Hollis and not discover his fineness was
beneath contempt.
"I'll tell you," she said. "I've _got_ to see Miss Elizabeth Cornish."
"H'm!" said Vance. "I'm afraid not. But--just what have you to tell her?"
The girl smiled.
"If I could tell you that, I wouldn't have to see her.
Pages:
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341