So I followed,
hoping to stop him, and after he shot George he ran into me and was so
angry that he struck me. I wish _I_ had had a pistol! I would have--"
"Gracie, dear little girl! You mustn't wish to kill or wound anyone! Oh,
are you _hurt_? Come, dear--"
"I'll be with you right off, me boy!" said Mr. Hooper to Gus, and
presently they were in the library alone.
"Listen to me, lad. This nevvy o' mine is me dead sister's child, an' I
swore t' her I'd do all I could fer him. His brother Bob, he's in the
Navy, a decent lad; won't have nothin' to do with Thad. An' you can't
blame him, fer Thad's a rapscallion. Smart, too, an' friendly enough to
his old uncle. But now, though, I'm done with him. I'm fer lettin' him
slide, not wantin' to put the law on him. I'll take care o' George. He
shall have the best doctor in the country, an' I'll keep him an' his
wife in comfort, but I don't want Thaddeus to be arrested. Now I reckon
he's gone an' so let luck take him--good, bad, er indifferent. Won't you
let him hit his own trail, foot-loose?"
"I'd like to see him arrested and jailed," said Gus, "but for you and
because of what you'll do for George and your being so good to Bill and
me, I'll keep mum on it."
"Good, me lad. An' now you git back to George an' tell him to keep
Thad's name out of it. I'll 'phone fer 'Doc' Little and 'Doc' Yardley,
an' have an ambulance sent fer the poor feller.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96