alk to
him and see if it's true." Mary V was not altogether without
consideration for the feelings of another, but candor was the keynote
of her nature, and she was very much perturbed, and she did not really
feel that a fellow like Bland Halliday had any feelings to consider.

Sudden smoothed a smile off his mouth. "Well, now, this is very
thoughtful of you; very thoughtful. I appreciate your coming to
consult me before you have settled the whole thing yourself. Come into
the house, young man."

An hour later, Sudden leaned back in his chair and looked at Mary V.
Tight-lipped, paler than she had any right to be, Mary V met the look
wide-eyed. Bland moved his feet anxiously, watching them both.

"I played square with him," he whined. "Either he didn't, or else--"

Sudden's eyes turned to Bland and settled there meditatively. "Yes, I
guess you did," he admitted. "Looks like you had played fair. Where
are you stopping? I'll take you back down town. Need money?"

"Dad! Aren't you going to _do_ anything? If Bland is telling the
truth, don't you see what it means? Something must have happened--"

"Well, now, that will all be attended to, kitten. According to Bland,
Johnny checked out before he disappeared. Also his airplane
disappeared with him. That doesn't look like he'd been made away with,
exactly. He's all right, probably--but we'll find out. I've a right
to know what he did with that flying machine; it's security for that
note of his!"

Mary V sprang to her feet and faced him. "Dad Selmer, I would never
have believed a person on oath if they had said you could be so
perfectly mean and mercenary! If that's all you care about, why take
the Bear Cat and give me that note! Go on--take it! I guess Johnny
has a right to do as he pleases until the note is due, at any rate.
You might at least treat Johnny with ordinary business courtesy, I
should think. You know perfectly well that you wouldn't dare hound
your other creditors like that. But if you are really worried about
that note, I shall deem it a pleasure and a privilege to pay it myself,
and I'm sure the Bear Cat is good for the amount, or if you prefer you
may hold back my allowance, and I shall go without clothes and
everything until it is paid. It's a perfect outrage to keep nagging
Johnny when he's doing his level best and not asking any help from you
or any one else. I'm sure I honor and respect him all the more, and
you would too i