"Got to do it, whether your father likes it or not. We're dealing with a cutthroat. He knows this land's worth money."
"Yes——"
"And you can't tell what he'll do." He bent to her. "That scoundrel scared you," he said regretfully. "You're ready to drop. Oh, yes, you are! And it's my fault. I knew he might come any day—that he'd make trouble. But I didn't believe he'd get here so soon, I——"
"I'd given him up," she said.
"You! You did know, then!"
"Quite a while ago."
"Knew what?" asked Marylyn, stopping her tears. Then, certain that there was some awful secret behind it all, and that it was being kept from her, she began to cry again.
Dallas soothed her, and explained.
"Do you know when Matthews' six months is up?" Lounsbury inquired.
"To-night, at twelve."