id
_you_ scare her, and had she anything to do with that revolver?"

The words of the last sentence came hard as lead bullets against
Marston's ears, and frightened him. The face of his caller had suddenly
grown white and fierce. Glenning's knotted fists were writhing under
his folded arms. Marston knew he had better speak, and speak the truth.

"She came to see me of her own free will. I invited her in, and she drew
her pistol on me. I knocked it out of her hand to keep from getting
shot."

"A likely tale, and the skeleton of truth alone, I daresay. What did
_she_ want with _you_?"

A smile of triumph lit the dark features of the hybrid.

"Something _you_ could not give her, but _I_ could!--Julia Dudley came
for a favour to _me_!"

"Keep her name out of it, damn you!"

Glenning, white hot, drew two steps nearer, though still holding himself
in check.

"We can talk without the use of names. What favour did she want?"

"She came to ask me to have the bank dividend declared, or they would
starve!"

"That was no favour. The money is Major Dudley's. You have stolen it
from them by withholding it. She came to demand her own, and her own was
denied her, no need to tell me that."

Marston thought of the price he had put upon the dividend, and, while he
longed to goad and torture his enemy to the utmost, he feared to tell
him of that part of their conversation.

"No, she didn't get it!" he answered, roughly.

"Look at me, Mr. Marston!"

Little as he liked the command, Marston centered his ever shifting eyes
upon Glenning's. But they would not stay, despite his will.

"You've been to Jericho," went on the even voice. "You came back last
night. What did you go for?"

"What in hell do you mean?" he flared out, with a bluster. "I went on
business."

"_Your_ business, or _my_ business?"

This time Marston coloured perceptibly, and shrugged his shoulders. He
did not answer.

"See here!" resumed Glenning. "I know why you went to Jericho. Now
listen. If you begin spreading lies about me in this community you shall
suffer. Tell the truth--the whole truth--and I'll not say a word. But
you don't know the whole truth, nor any part of it. You didn't go to get
the truth, but all the low, indecent scandal and gossip you could scrape
together. Usually that side is not as hard to get as the other. It is
not my fault that we have been enemies from the night I came to Macon. I
would not have you for a friend, believe me,