came here and shot Mr. Hale! That's what's happened, Bill! Grantham knows it all, of course; and Carson—oh, for God's sake! Bill! Bill, if you care a damn for Marjorie, pull up! Oh, old fellow, I tried not to hand it to you like this! But you had to get it or she would! Don't you see? We've all got to pull together on this or" But Bill no longer was hearing.
"You're a liar!" he said, his big powerful hands clenched on Gregg's shoulders. "You admit to me now you're a liar."
"I got up that burglar story to keep it from Marjorie, Bill! Don't you see? I tried to pass Carson off as Russell; but I couldn't pass him off on you."
Yet Billy still held his grip and could not believe.
"Bill, get Grantham out of that room—and away from Marjorie," Gregg suggested then. "Ask him what happened."
That forced Billy to believe or go to Grantham; and, faced this way, Billy had to concede to himself his belief. He tore his hands away.
"Oh, Gregg; Gregg!"
"All right, Bill! It had to hit you that way! Wouldn't give a damn for you if it didn't!"
"It's not me, Gregg. It's Marjorie! Oh, Gregg, the poor little girl. Let me go to her! Let me by!"
"No, Bill; not now! Go outdoors; you walk around outside for a while."
"You let me out of here now!"
"It's for Marjorie, Bill; we have to stick together; keep it from her; get her out of here before she suspects. So don't you go to her now; don't try to say a word to her. Go outdoors only till the ambulance comes; then we'll all be out of here."
