"I--I told you I thought I had quite read your character in your
face. But that is no reason why I should take advantage of your
kindness to do you harm."
"Harm? How do you mean, 'harm?'"
"Sheila Macklin is a creature from a reformatory. She has been
sentenced by a magistrate. She was arrested by the police. She was
accused by her employers of theft, and the theft was proved. If any
of your friends should see you with me, and I should be identified
as the Sheila Macklin who was sentenced for stealing--"
"Cat's foot!" ejaculated Tunis with a sudden reversion to his usual
cheerful manner. "Are you going through the rest of your life
feeling like that?"
"Why shouldn't I? I am always expecting somebody to see and
recognize me. Even in Sellers' place. That man this evening, when he
called me 'jailbird'--"
"I wish I had wrung his neck!" exclaimed the captain of the _Seamew_
heartily.
"I appreciate your kindness." Her eyes twinkled. For a moment he
caught a glimpse of what Sheila Macklin must have been before
tragedy had come into her life. "You are a good, kind man, Captain
Latham."
"You just look on me as though I were your brother," he said
sturdily. "You are not going to be alone any more, not really.
Pages:
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106