We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
THE ATTACK
"Oh," she wailed brokenly, "I dont deserve it — it seems wrong for me to be so happy now."
Perhaps it was wrong. If so the scrawled and smeared note that a neighbor's boy thrnst into her frightened hands a little later was her punishment. It was crueller than she had deserved.
1 ' Father ! " she muttered. "Fd forgotten all about my letter. And he is here — he will rob Bart — it is my fault. Oh, what shall I do — what shall I do?"
Tonight, she knew, the office safe held the money for paying off the harvest hands. It was already dusk, with a lemon wisp of a sickle moon drifting down the sky. In an hour
— two at the longest Suddenly
she turned, plunged into the waisthigh field of grain beside the house and began to run. He was waiting, lean, yellow, sinister as ever — the evil genius that had swayed her destiny ever since she was a child.
"Ah-ha, so you're here?" he greeted her. ''Well, thanks to your
37
letter I think we're going to be able to pull off a neat little job."
"Hush!" The girl cast a hunted glance around her. "Listen. Please go away. Forget what I wrote you. I was crazy — a fool. There is no money in the house."
The ruse failed.
"We'll see about that," he snarled.
"Oh, father!" She flung out her small, shaking hands desperately. 1 ' Listen ! If you ever — even when I was a tiny baby — felt a single spark of love for me, go away now. Cant you see I'm — I'm different now? I'm straight. I'll never play another low-down trick to get hold of money again. And — and I love him — my husband. Oh, please go away — for the love of heaven, go away and leave me my happiness ! ' '
He growled an oath and flung her aside. Between anger and derision his face was not good to see.
"Like fury I'll go away," he said. "And as for you, you keep out o' my game, or I'll show your letter to that precious husband o' yours."