"
"You did," I returned coldly, "but Mrs. Henley has returned to her
room."
"Mrs. Henley, huh! Think yer kin pull thet bluff over me!"
"What bluff?"
"Aw, this Henley racket you sprung last night--'bout yer being young
Phil Henley come back."
"Did I say that?"
"Yer shure did," eyeing me in some surprise. "I reckon my ears heard
all right. Why, what are yer this morning?"
"If I ever made any such claim as that, Coombs, it was merely to assure
our admittance. You were not overly-cordial, you know, and I did n't
propose having the lady walk back to town. It's different this
morning, and I am going to be just as frank with you as you are with
me. Is that square?"
"I reckon," uneasily, not yet able to gauge my purpose, and feeling his
bluff a failure. "I ain't got nothin' ter lie about so fur as I know.
Let's go inside, whar we kin have it out quiet like."
I followed him into the front room, and he kicked out a chair so as to
bring my face to the windows. As I sank into it I noticed a dusty
mirror opposite which gave me a dim reflection of the entire room.
Coombs shut the door leading to the back of the house, and sat down
facing me, his big hands on his knees. His effort to look pleasant
only made him appear uglier than usual.
Pages:
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136