"I have a headache," I answered. "I will take a short walk."
Elsie looked at me with a peculiar air of distrust. Her woman's
instinct told her that there was something wrong. Before she could
question me, however, I had left the room and was walking rapidly
on Hammond Brake's track.
He heard the footsteps, and I saw his figure, black against the
sky, stop and peer back through the dusk to see who was following
him.
"It is I, Brake," I called out. "Stop; I wish to speak with you."
He stopped, and in a minute or so we were walking side by side
along the road. My fingers itched at that moment to be on his
throat. I commenced the conversation.
"Brake," I said, "I'm a very plain sort of man, and I never say
anything without good reason. What I came after you to tell you
is, that I don't wish you to come to my house any more, or to speak
with Elsie any farther than the ordinary salutations go. It's no
joke. I'm quite in earnest."
Brake started, and, stopping short, faced me suddenly in the road.
"What have I done?" he asked. "You surely are too sensible a man
to be jealous, Dayton.
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