Part 27 (1/2)

”Surely you must know,” she told him. ”If I had the least spark of affection for you, which I did not have, it would have been quenched by your action at the dance in the hall, and what you did last night.”

”Last night! What did I do last night?”

”You know as well as I do, and I think a great deal better. One who will hound on others to attack a lone man on a dark night is not worthy to be called a man, but should be listed with the brutes of the jungle.”

An oath leaped from Ben's lips and he gripped Nell by the arm.

”Who told you that?” he growled. ”How dare you make such a charge?”

”I dare make it because I know it is true. How I know it is my own affair. Let go my arm at once, and don't you touch me again.”

Nell's eyes were blazing with anger now, and Ben shrank back cowed.

The serpent within him could not endure the righteous indignation of the pure and n.o.ble woman before him. He knew that what she said was true, and it roused him to an uncontrollable pitch of fury.

”Ah, I know where you got your information,” he twitted. ”I understand why you won't have anything more to do with me. It's Jake Jukes' hired man who is at the bottom of all this. Ah, I know. He's been around here with his d.a.m.n oily ways. That's the secret of the whole thing.

Oh, I understand it all now.”

”You think you know more than you do,” Nell quietly replied. ”Mr.

Handyman has told me nothing. I have not seen him since the fight.”

”But you saw him last night. He was at your house.”

”How do you know that?”

”Oh, I know very well.”

”You were spying upon us, I suppose, sneaking around and looking in at the window. Do you call that a manly thing to do?”

Ben was getting the worst of the conversation, and he knew it.

”I'll get even with that cur,” he declared. ”I'll show him a thing or two.”

”There, I wish to hear no more of such talk,” Nell replied. ”I am going into the house.” She started to leave, but Ben stopped her.

”Just a minute before you go,” he growled. ”You have thrown me over, and you think you are done with me. But, remember, Nell Strong, I'm not a man to be fooled with. You'll regret this sooner than you imagine.”

”Is that a threat?” she asked. ”You are careless of your words.”

”You can call it what you like, I don't care. You may scorn me now, but my turn will come.”

Waiting to hear no more, Nell left him, hurried into the house and closed the door. She partly expected him to follow her, so she stood for a while in the middle of the kitchen listening with fast-beating heart. After she had waited for several minutes and no sound was heard outside, she lighted the lamp and drew down the blinds. Then she sat down upon a chair by the side of the table and buried her face in her hands. She was very tired and almost heartbroken over what had just taken place. She knew how vindictive Ben would be, and when she thought of her helpless father and sister and what her decision might mean to them, she almost repented of her action. But when she thought of Ben and what a creature he really was, she felt that anything was better than to be in the least manner connected with him. Let him do his utmost, there would still be some way, surely, whereby they could make a living.

She sat thus for some time, and it seemed to her as if her brain must burst from the confusion of thought. She must do something to relieve her strained feelings. There was plenty to be done, and she at once began to fold some clothes which had been left over from the previous day's was.h.i.+ng, and which she had not had time to iron. Her fingers moved rapidly, keeping pace with her thoughts.

She had been engaged at this work but a short time when she heard a step at the door. Then there was the sound of some one lifting the latch. Could it be Ben coming? she asked herself. What would she do?

What could she say to him? As she stood there hesitating, the door slowly opened, and instead of Ben, Jean Benton stood before her. Nell breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her, though the expression upon the girl's face startled her.

”Oh, Jean!” she exclaimed, ”how you did frighten me! Come and sit down, for you look tired.”

Jean made no reply but stood there with her eyes fixed upon Nell's face. They were wild eyes, and they caused Nell to tremble. Was Jean mad? she wondered, and what would she do with her? What did she want, anyway?