ou mean to do?"

"I mean to have a talk with him first off. I'll make him do what's
right."

"How?"

"I don't know how, but I will," she cried wildly. "If he don't I'll
settle with him. Nothing's too bad for a man like that."

He shook his head. "Not the best way, Rose. Let's be sure of every
move we make. Let's check up on this man before we lay down the law to
him."

Some arresting quality in him held her eye. He had sloughed the gay
devil-may-care boyishness of the range and taken on a look of strong
patience new in her experience of him. But she was worn out and
nervous. The pain in her arm throbbed feverishly. Her emotions had
held her on a rack for many hours. There was in her no reserve power
of endurance.

"No, I'm going to see him and have it out," she flung back.

"Then let me go with you when you see him. You're sick. You ought to
be in bed right now. You're in no condition to face it alone."

"Oh, don't baby me, Kirby!" she burst out. "I'm all right. What's it
matter if I am fagged. Don't you see? I'm crazy about Esther. I've
got to get it settled. I can rest afterward."

"Will it do any harm to take a friend along when you go to see this
man?"

"Yes. I don't want him to think I'm afraid of him. You're not in
this, Kirby. Esther is my little sister, not yours."

"True enough." A sardonic, mirthless smile touched his face. "But
James Cunningham is my uncle, not yours."

"Your uncle?" She rose, staring at him with big, dilated eyes. "He's
your uncle, the man who--who--"

"Yes, an' I know him better than you do. We've got to use finesse--"

"I see." Her eyes attacked him scornfully. "You think we'd better not
face him with what he's done. You think we'd better go easy on him.
Uncle's rich, and he might not like plain words. Oh, I understand now."

Wild Rose flung out a gesture that brushed him from her friendship.
She moved past him blazing with anger.

He was at the elevator cage almost as soon as she.

"Listen, Rose. You know better than that. I told you he was my uncle
because you'd find it out if I'm goin' to help you. He's no friend of
mine, but I know him. He's strong. You can't drive him by threats."

The elevator slid down and stopped. The door of it opened.

"Will you stand aside, sir?" Rose demanded. "I won't have anything to
do with any of that villain's family. Don't ever speak to me again."

She stepped into the car. The door clanged