“Inza, please do not act in this manner. I have an apology to make.”
He passed his hand through her arm, and they went out on the veranda. The moon was over the mountains again, and its silver light glinted the waves of the sea.
Frank and Inza paused in the shadow of the vines. For some moments he did not speak, and then, his voice quivering, he talked long and earnestly. What he said is neither here nor there. He had an apology to make, and he made it in a manly way. He acknowledged his mistake and freely expressed his contrition.
Inza heard him in silence to the end, then she burst into tears. In a moment both of Frank’s arms were about her, and she was sobbing with her head against his breast.
The following morning Bart Hodge, who had appeared greatly troubled since the race, sought out Frank.
“I want to ask you a question,” he said, earnestly. “Do you think I tried to keep you from winning that race, Frank?”
“Not much, Bart,” replied Merry, cordially. “I know you better than that. But——”
“Yes?”
“Perhaps you were asked to.”
Hodge flushed.