"Have I killed her?" muttered the man, in audible tones. "Well, if I
have, it is not my fault; she forced me to do it, and--"
He started then, and uttered a great cry. A hand touched his face, and a
man's visage peered into his.
Instantly the hand of Barkswell sought his hip.
"Don't draw, brother, it's only me."
Barkswell stared in a startled way into the face of the new-comer.
It was indeed Perry Jounce, but he had changed so in the past four and
twenty hours as to seem like another man.
His beard was gone, and a new hat and suit of clothes altered his
appearance wonderfully.
"What have you been doing to yourself, Perry?"
"Fixing up so't I kin go sparkin' as well as you, brother darling,"
returned the tramp, forcing a gurgling laugh. "What's up here? Iris dead
--_you her murderer!_"
"Don't be a fool, Perry, she's only fainted."
"But I heard her scream murder."
The eyes of Perry Jounce pierced the guilty villain to the quick. If
there was one being in the wide world whom the miserable tramp loved,
that person was his sister, the wife of Andrew Barkswell, and the only
kin he had in the wide world.
Pages:
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119