CHAPTER XI
Already One Attempt
“I WON’T consent to any further chasing of this woman.”
It was Charles Matthewson who spoke, standing in front of his brother in the library at Waterville, where the original interview regarding Cranston had taken place. It was a long time since Charles had spoken so positively to Henry, and the latter looked up half amused and half irritated, yet with an ugly expression on his face.
“You have suddenly become very much concerned for this—woman. I’ll use your polite term,” he said.
“I’ve suddenly become concerned for myself,” the other replied hotly. “I know, as you do, that she and her—misfortune have nothing to do with this murder; and I know, as you do, if you’ll stop to think a moment, that it’s a cowardly piece of business for men to engage in to hunt down a woman, simply because they may do so with the approval of the hunters.”
Henry gave a low whistle.
“Who’s been talking to you? You’ve got a sudden conversion as to this woman’s—misfortune.” He gave an ugly slur to that last word. “Time was when you’d call it by another name.”
“Well, whether I would or not, Cranston’s got to be called off from that line: and he’s got to be called off quick!”
“But Frank Hunter has been very insistent on this point. He seems to have some reason for thinking it important,” Henry answered.