Vera turned and smiled on him securely, with frank friendliness.
"Go ahead," she assented, "talk to me like a father."

Winthrop smiled back at her, and then frowned.

"You shouldn't be in this business," he said.

The girl regarded him steadily.

"What's the matter with the business?" she asked.

Winthrop felt she had put him upon the defensive, but he did not
hesitate.

"Well," he said, "there may be some truth in it. But we don't
know that. We do know that there's a lot of fraud and deceit in
it. Now," he declared warmly, "there's nothing deceitful about
you. You're fine," he cried enthusiastically, "you're big! That
boy who was in here told me one story about you that showed -- "

Vera stopped him sharply.

"What do you know of me?" she asked bitterly. "The first time
you ever saw me I was in a police court; and this morning -- you
heard that man threaten to put me in jail -- "

In turn, by abruptly rising from his chair, Winthrop interrupted
her. He pushed the chair out of his way, and, shoving his hands
into his trousers' pockets, began pacing with long, quick