“Allison! Listen!” broke in Jane gravely, stopping 331 the torrent of words with which he was attempting to silence her. “It isn’t what you think at all. My father wasn’t a forger! He was a good man!”
“He wasn’t!” exclaimed Allison joyously. “Then what in thunder? Why didn’t you tell ’em so, Jane?” He tried to draw her to him, but she still resisted.
“That’s just it, Allison, I can’t. I never can–––”
“Well, then I will! You shan’t have a thing like that hanging over you–––!”
“But that is just what you must not do. And you can’t do it, either, if I don’t tell you about it, for you wouldn’t have a thing to say, nor any way to prove it. And I won’t tell you, Allison, ever, unless you will promise–––!”
Allison was sobered in an instant.
“Jane, don’t you know me well enough to be sure I would not betray any confidence you put in me?”
“I thought so–––” said Jane, smiling through her tears.
“Dear!” said Allison in a tone that was a caress, full of longing and sympathy.
Jane sat up bravely and began her story.