rather have had his tongue torn out by the roots than to have offended
her or the young man with his story.

She waved the sheriff's apology aside. It was unfortunate, but it could
not have been helped. They all realized that. She guided her guests into
the living room, and on the way she managed to drift close to her
brother.

Her eyes were on fire with her triumph.

"You heard, Vance? You saw what he did?"

There was a haunted look about the face of Vance, who had seen his high-
built schemes topple about his head.

"He did even better than I expected, Elizabeth. Thank heaven for it!"



CHAPTER 13


Terence Hollis had gone out of the room and up the stairs like a man
stunned or walking in his sleep. Not until he stepped into the familiar
room did the blood begin to return to his face, and with the warmth there
was a growing sensation of uneasiness.

Something was wrong. Something had to be righted. Gradually his mind
cleared. The thing that was wrong was that the man who had killed his
father was now under the same roof with him, had shaken his hand, had sat