“You—saw me!” gasped Cal in amazement. Ned nodded.
“Yes, I woke up for a minute and saw you by the window. I was sleepy and paid no attention and went to sleep again. I didn’t think anything of it until Spud spoke of it after I’d missed the money.”
“You must have dreamed it! I tell you I wasn’t out of bed that night, Ned!” declared Cal earnestly.
“All right, say I did dream it,” answered Ned wearily. “Say Spud and I both dreamed the same thing. It doesn’t matter now. Only, for the love of Mike, don’t act as though I’d hurt you. I won’t stand that—that confounded injured innocence of yours. Hang it, I did all I could to keep the other fellows from guessing, but I’m not going to pretend that you didn’t take it just to please you! You needed the money and you took it. You ought to be satisfied.”
“You lie, Ned!”
“I do, eh?” said Ned angrily. “Where’d you get the money to pay for those clothes, I’d like to know.”
“My mother sent it. I wrote home for it. I can show you her letter. I didn’t take your money, and—and—”
“Don’t lie about it, I tell you!” cried Ned hotly. “If you must steal—”
“I cal’late [we’d better settle this right now],” interrupted the other, ominously calm. He dropped the box at the side of the road and stepped toward Ned with white face and blazing eyes. There was no one in sight in either direction. Ned shrugged his shoulders.