“Or what?” asked Wayne defiantly.
Benson restrained himself with an effort and walked to the window.
“If you don’t I will, and you can talk to the table.”
Wayne bit his lip, scowled at the motionless back of the other boy, and slid to the floor. At the door he hesitated with his hand on the knob. Then he returned to the middle of the study.
“I say, Benson, I’ll take that back, you know—what I just said. I reckon I’ve been acting like a cad ever since I came in; but you see Gray’s a friend of mine, and——”
“Oh, that’s all right; no harm done. Of course you’d feel mad about it; I dare say I would in your place. Sorry I ever opened my mouth on the subject.” Benson turned back toward the table and smiled good-humoredly. “If you hear the yarn again you might deny it for me. Will you? Just say I was lying, you know.”
“Perhaps you’ll find the money some time,” suggested Wayne.
“Eh? Find the money? Oh, of course I might. Still—” Benson paused and stared at Wayne. Then his face lighted up. “By Jove, Gordon, that’s a good idea! I’ll find it this evening!”
“Yes; it might have fallen into a drawer or somewhere like that, you know.”
“Of course it might. I—I dare say it fell back of the drawer. Perhaps it’s there now, Gordon.”