Pagina 117 de 439

"Well, I didn't aim to offend you anyway. You know me better than

that." He let his voice fall into a caressing modulation and put

a propitiatory hand on her skirt, but under the uncompromising

hardness of her gaze the hand fell away to his side. "I'm your

friend--leastways I want to be."

"My friends don't lynch men."

"But after what he did to your brother."

"The law will take care of that. If you want to please me call

off your men before it is too late."

It was his cue to please her, for so far as it was in him the man

loved her. He had set his strong will to trample on his past, to

rise to a place where no man could shake his security with proof

of his former misdeeds. He meant to marry her and to place her

out of reach of those evil days of his. Only Struve was left of

the old gang, and he knew the Wolf well enough to be sure that

the fellow would delight in blackmailing him. The convict's mouth

must be closed. But just now he must promise t she wanted, and he

did.