Page:Resurrection Rock (1920).pdf/86

 she had retained; she gave them to him with a few words of explanation, and he folded them with the first and put them in his pocket. His manner now seemed to mean that he had postponed consideration which he was inclined to make favorable. He patted Ethel's arm fondly.

"Now, my dear, tell me about that fellow Loutrelle who came over with you and went to Wheedon's."

She drew back a little from him. Then it was his sight of the Rock which, the minute before, had changed him!

"Why, grandfather," she said, "I've told you a good deal about him; I just met him on the train this morning."

He seized her, as the passion which he had with difficulty put down rose to mastery of him again.

"That's a lie—a lie!" he charged. "You're friends; you know all about him. You're—friends!"

She struggled to break the hold of his hand upon her shoulder, the blood hot within her. "I don't lie!" she defied him. "I do know more about him than I told you; but what I said was true. I told you he was going to the Rock. We both—both of us saw him go there, I think."

She witnessed no effect upon him from that. "You're friends—friends!" he accused her. "Miss Platt heard Sam telling Naomi that a friend of yours came with you. Now are you going to tell me about him?"

"No."

"What?"

"No!"

He bent over her. "All right; all right!" he said at last, pulling her papers from his pocket and thrust-