nation of
the pure and noble woman before him. He knew that what she said was
true, and it roused him to an uncontrollable pitch of fury.

"Ah, I know where you got your information," he twitted. "I understand
why you won't have anything more to do with me. It's Jake Jukes' hired
man who is at the bottom of all this. Ah, I know. He's been around
here with his damn oily ways. That's the secret of the whole thing.
Oh, I understand it all now."

"You think you know more than you do," Nell quietly replied. "Mr.
Handyman has told me nothing. I have not seen him since the fight."

"But you saw him last night. He was at your house."

"How do you know that?"

"Oh, I know very well."

"You were spying upon us, I suppose, sneaking around and looking in at
the window. Do you call that a manly thing to do?"

Ben was getting the worst of the conversation, and he knew it.

"I'll get even with that cur," he declared. "I'll show him a thing or
two."

"There, I wish to hear no more of such talk," Nell replied. "I am
going into the house." She started to leave, but Ben stopped her.

"Just a minute before you go," he growled. "You have thrown me over,
and you think you are done with me. But, remember, Nell Strong, I'm
not a man to be fooled with. You'll regret this sooner than you
imagine."

"Is that a threat?" she asked. "You are careless of your words."

"You can call it what you like, I don't care. You may scorn me now,
but my turn will come."

Waiting to hear no more, Nell left him, hurried into the house and
closed the door. She partly expected him to follow her, so she stood
for a while in the middle of the kitchen listening with fast-beating
heart. After she had waited for several minutes and no sound was heard
outside, she lighted the lamp and drew down the blinds. Then she sat
down upon a chair by the side of the table and buried her face in her
hands. She was very tired and almost heartbroken over what had just
taken place. She knew how vindictive Ben would be, and when she
thought of her helpless father and sister and what her decision might
mean to them, she almost repented of her action. But when she thought
of Ben and what a creature he really was, she felt that anything was
better than to be in the least manner connected with him. Let him do
his utmost, there would still be some way, surely, whereby they could
make a living.

She sat thus for some time, and it seemed to her as if h