She smiled down at me very sweetly. "So much as that? It doesn't sound as if you appreciated Walter, Mr. Crosby. I can easily imagine a worse husband myself." "I don't mean that," said I hastily. "At least—" "At least you may as well come in to breakfast."[Pg 128] [Pg 128] "I should say he might," Mr. Tabor cried behind her. "I have Sheila safely stowed away, and now I must make sure of you." I must have looked nearly as puzzled as I felt. "You see, Mr. Crosby, I owe you an apology. You helped us out of a tight place last night, and we are deeply in your debt; your coals of fire are upon all our heads." "But—" I said, and hesitated. "'But;' but that's what I say. I owe you an apology. We fired you out the other night because we had to. We had something going on here then which we did not care to have a stranger mixed up in. We had every regard for you—but, after all, you were an outsider, and we simply could not risk you. So we threw you out. You understand that I am speaking to you now in confidence, and because I take you to be a gallant gentleman. Neither can I explain. Of course, the explanation I did give you was a sheer bit of bluff. I know nothing against you whatever; but you forced me into saying something, and that was the most effective thing I could think of to say to a man of your kind. Believe me, I hated to do it. Will you shake hands?" By that time I had got my breath again. "I will[Pg 129] do more," I said laughingly. "I will congratulate you. You are one of the ablest and most convincingly finished—a—" [Pg 129] "Liars," he prompted. "That I ever had the privilege of meeting," I concluded unblushingly. Mr. Tabor clapped me on the shoulder. "Thank you. I am honored. We shall get along very well, I promise you. Lady, lead the way where breakfast waits; this low fellow and I will follow." So the three of us made a very comfortable meal. Mrs. Tabor was not at table, and I supposed her breakfasting in bed, if indeed she were awake; and Doctor Reid, it appeared, was yet busy with his patient. We told Mr. Tabor our adventure, turn and turn about, and I found myself
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