"Why? For God's sake, why?"
"Don't be too hard on me," pleaded the other. "I'd heard about the road-house. And then, what she said to you. It all fitted in. Hale put me right. Boy-ee, I can sleep again, now that I know it wasn't you."
The implication caught at Hal's throat.
"Why, Dad," he said lamely, "if you'd only come to me and asked—"
"Somehow I couldn't. I was waiting for you to tell me." He slid his big hand over Hal's shoulder, and clutched him in a sudden, jerky squeeze, his face averted.
"Now, that's off our minds," he said, in a loud and hearty voice. "We can—"
"Wait a minute. Father, you saw the story in the 'Clarion,'—the story of Milly's death?"
"Yes, I saw that."
"Well?"
"I suppose you did what you thought was right, Boy-ee."