possession. He felt that she was forming a strong prepossession against Jack Chapel, and for some strange reason this fact pleased him greatly. Indeed, Lou Alp would gladly have destroyed her good opinion of every man in the world except one.
"I'll tell you how it is with Jack," he said. "He's hard. You see?"
"Ah?" said the girl.
It occurred to the thief that he must not go too far, for a suspicion of one would embrace them both.
"But he's square," added Lou. "He's terrible square in spite of the fact that he's hard."
"Terrible square is a good way to put it. He surely has a cold eye."
Lou Alp became alarmed. "You don't see under the surface," he declared. "In a pinch he's the best pal that ever stepped. No boastin', no braggin', but when the time comes he steps out and does his part. Steady as a rock, true as steel, honest as the day, that's the sort of a gent Jack is."
If he praised his friend, was he not removing the foundation of any suspicion she might have? Was he not, by allusion, strengthening his own safety and good repute in this household? "Birds of a feather," etc. Then he observed that readily as the girl had been prejudiced against Jack Chapel, she was equally ready to be prejudiced in his favor.
"Is he all those things? In fact, I guessed at part of them."
"Look at the way he done for me," went on Lou Alp. "It wasn't his fault I got shot. Then, when a lot of gents I know would of sat down and let me freeze to death, he starts right out to carry me and get me to some sort of help. Tears up his own shirt, makes a bandage, starts the long pull up that hill...."
"Uphill?" echoed Kate Moore.
"Downhill, I mean. I got my tongue twisted. But he took me a long way. Most men would of buckled before they carried me half so far. Then he saw the house. Didn't leave me there in the snow to freeze while he went and got help, but he carried me right down, with his breath comin' more like a rasp every step. That's the sort of a gent..."
His voice faltered and died away, for he looked more closely at her and saw that her eyes were on fire.
"It was a fine thing to do," declared the girl. "It was a fine thing. Sounds simple, but I know how hard it was. No wonder he was gruff after all that hard work. And he wanted to stay with you! Why, he has a lot of affection for you, Mister Angus."
"Him and me... pals," murmured Lou Alp.
He felt, miserably, that the light was gone for him. She stood up. "I'm going down, now. They'll be waiting for me."
"I'm sorry," said Lou.
"For what?"
"I'll explain later."
She went lightly out of the room, smiled back at him from the door, and was gone. A weight settled on the heart of the thief.
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