Page:Stanwood Pier--Harding of St Timothys.djvu/62

42 He began slowly twisting Stoddard's wrist.

At that moment the door by which he was standing opened, and Rupert Ormsby appeared.

"Standing by to see fair play, I suppose, Harry?" Rupert said in a calm voice, and Harry flushed and dropped his eyes. Herrick, startled by this sudden intervention, stood undecided, gripping Stoddard's wrist.

"I don't know why my coming out should make any difference to you, Herrick," Rupert continued. "You were just on the point of doing something. Why don't you go ahead?"

"I was just having a little fun with him," Herrick answered. "I was n't going to hurt him." "Why, of course not," said Rupert mildly. "You were just going to persuade him to tell you something that you saw he did n't want to tell and that was no business of yours. You were n't going to hurt him at all; you were just going to try the effect of a little torture on him,—for you're nothing but a bully, after all,—and Harry was just going to stand by and be amused!"