"I wanted to tell you," she said finally, with palpable
difficulty, "how sorry I am about... about
things; your home, and -- and I heard of the stage,
too. It was a shame, you drove beautifully, and
took such care of the passengers."

"It was that care cost me the place," he answered
with brutal directness; "old Simmons did it; him
and his precious Buckley."

She stopped with an expression of instant, deep
concern. "Oh! I am so sorry... then it was
my fault. But it's horrid that they should have
done that; that they should be able; it is all
wrong--"

"Right nor wrong don't make any figure I've ever
discovered," he retorted; "Valentine Simmons has
the power, he's got the money. That's it -- money's
the right of things; it took my house away from me,
like it's taken away so many houses, so many farms,
in Greenstream--"

"But," she objected timidly, "didn't they owe
Mr. Simmons for things? You see, people borrow,
borrow, borrow, and never pay back. My father,"
she proceeded with more confusion, "has lost lots of
money in that way."

"I can tell you all about that," he informed her
bitterly, proceeding to mimic Simmons' dry, cordial
tones, "'Take the goods right along with you, pay
when you like, no hurry between old friends.'

[[96]]

p095 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p096w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p097

v?