Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/311

Rh Kenneth, very white, stared at her a moment. Then he reached out and seized her firmly by the upper arm.

"You come with me, young woman," he commanded grimly. "You'll just explain yourself!"

She twisted trying to snatch her arm away, but his fingers bit in without mercy, and after a moment she gave up. Without easing his grip he led her down the steps, across the lawn, under the oak trees to Dolman's House. Once there he fairly flung her arm from him.

"Now, young woman!" he commanded.

She stood for a moment rubbing her arm, too angry to speak.

"You know perfectly well," she managed at last.

Kenneth faced her, his arms folded rather melodramatically across his chest. He was entirely in control of himself, very grim and determined, very cool; and seemed of a sudden to have put on an unwonted garment of cool maturity.

"We won't have any of that," he told her. "I asked you to explain your attitude, and I have the right after your treatment of me to expect you to do so."

His cold determination stiffened her own. She straightened and faced him.

"Very well, if you will have it openly," she said, and in level tones began her count. He listened without comment until she had quite finished.

"You believe all this?" he enquired then. "But that is a superfluous question: I see you do." He paced back and forth a few times considering. She watched him furtively. Strangely enough a tiny thrill of something very like hope sprang up in her heart. He was not taking it as she had expected. His face was set and gray, and his manner was of an iron repression. "I'd like to get this quite clear," he said after a moment, "so, if you don't mind, I'll restate it. Your own exposition was a little confused. As near as I can make it out, according to your story, my father has offered to buy Colonel Peyton's ranch or a portion of it." He checked the point off on his finger. "Failing in that he has entered into a plot to take the ranch away from the Colonel in spite of him, turning the old man out. The reason