Page:Hard-pan; a story of bonanza fortunes (IA hardpanbonanza00bonnrich).pdf/175

Rh "My dear, don't be so violent," said the colonel, trying to assume his old jaunty manner. "It's all a very simple matter, easily explained."

"Then explain it, father—explain it. Oh, if there 's anything to be said, say it!"

"It 's merely a business matter, a financial transaction between myself and Gault—nothing that concerns you."

"Oh, father, it concerns me more than anything that has ever happened to me in my life before."

Her tone wrung the colonel's soul. He tried to silence his pain and fear by a sudden attempt to divert the blame from himself.

"Did that dog—that mean, underhanded sneak—come here to-night, when he knew I was out, to show you that paper?"

His manner and words horrified her, and she shrank from him.

"I found the paper in your coat. He tried to take it from me. He never breathed to me or let me suspect what you were doing. To-night, when I found the paper, he tried to make me think it was all right, quite an ordinary thing—that you had done what every one else would have done."

"Well, then, why do you get so worked up about it? Why should a business transaction between him and me put you into such a state of mind?"