The woman lay upon the sofa, breathing hard, and moaning
just a little. The shock had been almost too much even for
her stolid nerves. Presently she turned her eyes toward Billy.
"You are a good boy," she said, "and you come just in the
nick o' time. They got all my money. It's in their clothes," and
then a look of terror overspread her face. For the moment she
had forgotten what she had heard about this man--that he
was an escaped convict--a convicted murderer. Was she any
better off now that she had let him know about the money
than she was with the others after they discovered it?
At her words Bridge kneeled and searched the two tramps.
He counted the bills as he removed them from their pockets.
"Eleven hundred?" he asked, and handed the money to
Billy.
"Eleven hundred, yes," breathed the woman, faintly, her
eyes horror-filled and fearful as she gazed upon Billy's face.
She didn't care for the money any more--they could have it
all if they would only let her live.
Billy turned toward her and held the rumpled green mass
out.
"Here," he said; "but that's an awful lot o' coin for a
woman to have about de house--an' her all alone. You ought
not to a-done it."
She took the money in trembling fingers.
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