"She can't deny it now. She
knows I know her and what she is. Why, Aunt Prue--and you, Captain
Ball--have been fooled nice, I must say. And that Tunis Latham!
Well, he can't be much!"
"Don't--don't say anything against Tunis!"
It was not a voice at all like the usual mellow tones of Sheila
Macklin which uttered those faint words. Hoarse, strained,
uncertain, there was yet a note of command in the phrase which had
its influence on the wildly excited Ida May.
"I'll say what I've got to say about _you_, miss!" she exclaimed
with exultation. "And you--nor they--shan't stop me. You're the girl
that was arrested in the store for stealing. It must have been
two--why, it must have been more than three years ago. I hadn't
worked there but a little while. No wonder I didn't remember you at
first."
Cap'n Ira vented a groan and caught at his wife's hand. She was
sobbing frantically. She still murmured her plea for the captain to
stop the awful revelation Ida May was bent on making. But the latter
gave no heed and the captain himself was speechless.
"And I can't remember her name even now," went on Ida May, flashing
a look at the Balls. Their pitiful appearance made no impression
upon her.
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