"He's just _helping me_, Millie," said Marvin, grinning at Bill. "Thanks for the tip, Lightnin', but I wanted to see you particularly to-day, so I--" He stopped abruptly, for Bill had raised a warning hand. Marvin recognized a familiar voice talking in the lobby. Glancing in, he saw Raymond Thomas standing in the center of the room, holding Mrs. Jones in conversation. Hammond and Blodgett had just come down the stairs and were joining the other two. "Better beat it, John!" Lightnin' whispered. But Marvin stood there. He was thinking quickly. He had caught a word or two of what Thomas was saying, and he gathered that matters were coming to a climax. Suddenly his expression cleared and he grinned. "Never mind about that, Lightnin'," he said, mechanically opening the door for Millie, who, seeing that they were ignoring her, tripped in with a petulant toss of her head. "I think I have a little scheme that will fool our friend Blodgett. But first--Bill, promise me that you won't sign that deed without consulting me!" "All right," said Lightnin', slowly. "I promise. But you better be careful, John, an'--" "Come on!" Marvin interrupted, leading the way himself. "I've a great desire to be in on these proceedings!" Seeing that the young man was not to be stopped, Bill said no more as he slid through the door and ambled after him into the lobby. CHAPTER IX "I think it is only fair to tell you, Mrs. Jones," Thomas was saying, a delicate, apologetic note creeping into his voice as he caught sight of Millie, "that this Marvin is not a proper person for your daughter to see. I fully believed that he was a fine young man myself once, and you cannot imagine my surprise when I discovered that he is the head of a gang of thieves who are going all over this part of the country, stealing timber." "Mercy me!" cried Mrs. Jones. "A thief, no less!" Then, seeing Marvin unexpectedly present in person, she glared at him. "Somethin' always warned me against you, John Marvin! Oh, Millie, Millie! How many times have I told you you was makin' a terrible mistake lettin' him annoy you!" Millie was evidently too astonished and puzzled to say anything. Meanwhile, Thomas had flushed deeply on finding himself confronted by the man he was in the act of damning. Instinctively he took a step back. Blodgett made a quick move toward Marvin, but Hammond seized his arm and stopped him. "Hold on a minute, Blodgett," he whispered. "You can nab him later--he can't very well get away from us now. I want to have a word, first--I'm going to show this young cub just where he stands!" Meanwhile, though the sheriff's move did not escape him, Marvin, a grim smile on his face, was gazing steadily at Thomas. "Go on, Thomas," he said, quietly. "I'm interested! What else were you going to say to Mrs. Jones?"