Then he looked up into her face and saw her eyes
swimming with tears.
"What--tears? Tears for me, Betty?" and he was much moved.
"It's a perfect outrage! Who did it, Charley?" she asked.
"You sit down and I'll tell you all about it," said Norton
happily.
"Now tell me, Charley!" when she had seated her. self.
"Who fetched you, Betty--old Tom?"
"No, I came alone."
"Well, it's mighty kind of you. I'll be all right in a day or
so. What did you hear?--that I'd been attacked and half-killed?"
"Yes--and robbed."
"There were three of the scoundrels. They made me climb out of
the saddle, and as I was unarmed they did as they pleased with
me, which was to stamp me flat in the road--"
"Charley!"
"I might almost be inclined to think they were friends of yours,
Betty--or at least friends of friends of yours."
"What do you mean, Charley--friends of mine?"
"Well, you see they started in by stipulating that I should keep
away from Belle Plain, and the terms they proposed being on the
face of them preposterous, trouble quickly ensued--trouble for
me, you understand. But never mind, dear, the next man who
undertakes to grab my horse by the bit won't get off quite so
easy."
"Why should any one care whether you come to Belle Plain or not?"
"I wonder if my amiable friend, Tom, could have arranged this
little affair; it's sort of like old Tom to move in the dark,
isn't it?"
"He couldn't--he wouldn't have done it, Charley!" but she looked
troubled, not too sure of this.
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