“Still, you didn’t have to lend yourself to—to underhanded proceedings.”
“Just what do you mean?”
Herron, Patty saw, was on his guard at once. But so was she. No word, she determined, should be spoken by her that might be misused.
“If you don’t know, I don’t either,” she parried.
“Then we neither of us know, and that’s best after all,” he returned, gravely. “Now, Miss Fairfield, I’m going—out of your life forever. I’ve told you my sorry story,—but I hope I’m man enough to accept your dismissal properly. No matter what I’ve been or done, I’m going to do something for you now. At least, for the man you love,—and that’s for you,—isn’t it?”
“Yes,” breathed Patty, wondering what was coming.
“Well, it’s just this. When you see Captain Farnsworth,—don’t on any account trust this to writing,—when you see him, alone, tell him to watch out for a certain wire-puller in Washington. Tell him that he’s trying to sidetrack him into the Searchlight gang,——”
“Who is the man?”
“I can’t speak his name. But tell Captain Farnsworth that it begins with S and ends with s. He’ll know.”
“If this is straight goods, I’m much obliged to you, Mr. Herron.”