She was growing more calm as he became excited.
“Did you ever hear of such folly?” he asked of Mr. Felton.
“I think Miss Dalton is perfectly right in wishing to carry out her uncle’s desires. She will have a large fortune left, even after giving up the ten thousand, and my advice to you would be to put no obstacle in her path. Of course, I know she cannot do this without your consent—at least, not at present.”
“Of course not; and I shall not allow it. I am surprised that a man of your prudence and judgment should advise such a thing,” Mr. Dalton answered with some heat.
“I simply believe in doing as we would be done by. Put yourself in young Wayne’s place Mr. Dalton and consider whether a little friendly help from the dead friend who was always so kind to him would not be very acceptable just at this time,” Mr. Felton answered earnestly.
A dark flush mounted to Mr. Dalton’s brow at these words. Put himself in Earle Wayne’s—her son’s—place! Imagine him to be in the position of the man he had such cause to hate! The thought stirred all the bad blood in his nature.
“He shall never have one penny of my daughter’s fortune. I will never put my name to any paper like what you have brought here to-day!” he cried angrily and smiting the table near which he sat heavily.
“Papa let me plead with you,” Editha said gently beseechingly. “I promised to do this thing at this time. Please do not make me break my word; for my sake let me do as Uncle Richard wished; do not force me to do a worse thing than that for which Earle was so cruelly sentenced!”
“I force you to commit no robbery! Girl, what do you mean? I am preventing you from robbing yourself!” he cried, angrily.
“Not so, Mr. Dalton,” Mr. Felton said, with dignity; for he longed to pommel the man for speaking so to the beautiful girl before him. “I can appreciate Miss Editha’s feelings; she not only wishes to befriend this unfortunate young man on her own account, but she believes that after to-day the ten thousand dollars are no longer hers. Richard Forrester gave the sum from his own property before it became hers, to young Wayne, and, if you refuse to allow her to settle it upon him, you are not only committing a wrong, but forcing her to commit one also.”