friend of yours to stop him from crawlin' after you and
fightin' it out, and queerin' the whole works. You don't owe me nothin',
Miss Gray; and, besides, I'm gettin' a lot more than is comm' to me,
'cause that same gent friend of yours there says I'm goin' to horn in
on the rewards, and I guess that's goin' some, for they got the whole
outfit from Danglar down, and the stuff up in the ceiling there, too."

She turned her head. The Adventurer was coming toward the cot.

"Better?" he called cheerily.

"Yes," she said. "Quite! Only I--I'd like to get away from here, from
this--this horrible place at once, and back to--to my flat if they'll
let me. Are--are they all gone?"

The Adventurer's gray eyes lighted with a whimsical smile.

"Nearly all!" he said softly. "And--er--Sparrow, suppose you go and find
a taxi!"

"Me? Sure! Of course! Sure!" said the Sparrow hurriedly, and retreated
through the door.

She felt the blood flood her face, and she tried to avert it.

He bent his head close to hers.

"Rhoda," his voice was low, passionate, "I--"

"Wait!" she said. "Your friend--the assistant district attorney--did he
come?"

"Yes," said the Adventurer. "But I shooed them all out, as soon as
we found you were not seriously hurt. I thought you had had enough
excitement for one night. He wants to see you in the morning."

"To see me"--she rose up anxiously on her elbow--"in the morning?"

He was smiling at her. His hands reached out and took her face between
them, and made her look at him.

"Rhoda," he said gently, "I knew to-night in the iron plant that you
cared. I told him so. What he wants to see you for is to tell you that
he thinks I am the luckiest man in all the world. You are clear, dear.
Even Rough Rorke is singing your praises; he says you are the only woman
who ever put one over on him."

She did not answer for a moment; and then with a little sob of glad
surrender she buried her face on his shoulder.

"It--it is very wonderful," she said brokenly, "for--for even we, you
and I, each thought the other a--a thief."

"And so we were, thank God!" he whispered--and lifted her head until now
his lips met hers. "We were both thieves, Rhoda, weren't we? And, please
God, we will be all our lives--for we have stolen each other's heart."

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The White Moll, by Frank L. Packard

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WHITE MOLL ***

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