Evan turned away his head and made no answer. Carmel clutched his arm. “Oh, they wouldn’t.... They couldn’t.... Not now. Nothing can happen to us now.” “At any rate,” he said, gravely, “we have this. It is something.” “But I want more. I want happiness--alive with you.... Oh, we must do something--something.” “Sit down,” he said. “Please--er--be calm. I will see what is to be done.” He sank into the chair, and she sat close beside him, clinging to his hand. Neither spoke.... At the sound of footsteps in the hall outside their heads lifted and their eyes fastened upon the door. A key grated in the lock and the door swung inward, permitting Peewee Bangs to enter. He stood grinning at them--the grin distorting his pinched, hunchback’s face. “Well,” he said, “here you be--both of ye. How d’ye like the accommodations?” Peewee evidently came to talk, not to be talked to, for he did not wait for an answer. “Folks that go meddlin’ in other folkses’ business ought to be more careful,” he said. “But numbers hain’t.... Now you was gittin’ to be a dummed nuisance. We’ve talked about you consid’able.... And say, we fixed it so’s you hain’t goin’ to be missed for a day or so. Uh huh. Had a feller telephone from the capital sayin’ you was back there on business.” “What--are you going to do with us?” Carmel asked. “Nothin’ painful--quite likely. If you was to turn up missin’ that ’u’d make too many missin’ folks.... So you hain’t a-goin’ to. Nope. We calc’late on havin’ you found--public like. Sure thing. Sheriff’s goin’ to find ye.” “Sheriff Jenney?” “That’s him.... We’re goin’ to kind of arrange this room a little--like you ’n’ that teacher feller’d been havin’ a nice leetle party here. Understand?... Plenty to drink and sich.” He drew his head back upon his distorted shoulders and looked up at them with eyes in which burned the fire of pure malice. Carmel turned away from him to determine from Evan’s face if he understood Bangs’s meaning. It was clear he did not. “Don’t git the idea, eh?” Peewee asked, with evident enjoyment. “Wa-al, since we got a good sheriff and one that kin be depended on, things is different here. He’s all for upholdin’ the law, and he aims to make an example out of me.” “Sheriff Jenney make an example of _you_!” Carmel exclaimed. “Funny, hain’t it? But that’s the notion. You bet you.... Goin’ to kind of raid my hotel, like you might say, and git evidence ag’in’ me. Dunno’s he’ll find much. More’n likely he won’t.... But he’ll find you two folks--he’ll come rampagin’ in here and find you together as cozy as bugs in a rug.” Peewee stopped to laugh with keen enjoyment of the humorous situation he described. “He’ll find you folks here, and he’ll find how you been together to-night and all day to-morrer.... And plenty of refreshments a-layin’ around handy. Reg’lar party.” “You mean Sheriff Jenney will come to this hotel--officially--and find Mr. Pell and myself in this room?” “That’s the ticket.”