“Carter stopped on his way out to make sure about the road. I wanted to
come with him, but there was no room in his car. He refused to bring
me, anyhow. I managed to worm out of him what your plans were, and the
doctor’s jitney did the rest.”
“Well,” growled the chief, with simulated indignation, though secretly
delighted with Dean’s show of spirit, “I suppose there’s nothing else
to do but to take you along. Climb in there beside Miss Strong.”
As Dean approached the car Jane rose in amazement.
“Oh, Thomas, Mr. Dean,” she cried, “I’m so glad to see you. I was
afraid yesterday that you had been badly hurt.”
“It was a close shave for both of us,” he admitted, flushing with
delight at the warmth of her greeting, “but what are you doing here?
The Chief had no business to bring you on a trip like this.”
All his affection for the girl had revived at this unexpected sight of
her, and with a lover’s righteous anxiety he resented Fleck’s having
exposed her to the probable perils of this expedition to the enemy’s
secret lair.
“They needed me,” she said simply, “to show them the way.”
“That need exists no longer,” he protested, “since I am here. The Chief
must send you back.”
“Don’t be absurd,” she objected warmly.
“But it is no place for a woman,” he insisted doggedly, kicking
meaningly at the rifles on the floor of the car. “There may be a fight.
These men are desperate and dangerous and more than likely will resist
any attempt to arrest them.”
“I want to be there to see it if they do,” said Jane calmly.
“Please, won’t you, for my sake,” he begged, “go back home or at least
wait here for us?”
“I won’t,” said the girl doggedly.
“I’ll ask the Chief to send you back.”
“Don’t you dare,” she retorted hotly, resenting his air of protection
toward her.
She was glad for the presence of the two other men in the car. She
sensed that it was only their being there that kept Dean from making a
scene. There was nothing in his manner toward her now of the obsequious
chauffeur. While she admitted to herself that there was no longer the
necessity for his continuing in his fictitious character she strongly
resented his loverlike jealousy for her welfare and welcomed the
chief’s return, for she saw from his face, as he came running up to the
car, that he had received some sort of news that had highly delighted
him.
Almost before he was in the car he had given orders to start, leaving
no opportunity for Dean to make his threatened protest against Jane’s
presence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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