Whispering Smith
I’m sure I could not be afraid of you if I understood things better. And there is Marion. She puzzles me. She will never speak of her husband—I don’t know why. And I don’t know why Mr. McCloud is so hard on Mr. Sinclair—Mr. Sinclair seems so kind and good-natured.”
Whispering Smith looked from the fire into Dicksie’s eyes. “What should you say if I gave you a confidence?”
She opened her heart to his searching gaze. “Would you trust me with a confidence?”
He answered without hesitation. “You shall see. Now, I have many things I can’t talk about, you understand. But if I had to give you a secret this instant that carried my life, I shouldn’t fear to do it—so much for trusting you. Only this, too, as to what I say: don’t ever quote me or let it appear that you any more than know me. Can you manage that? Really? Very good; you will understand why in a minute. The man that is stirring up all this trouble with your Cousin Lance and in this whole country is your kind and good-natured neighbor, Mr. Sinclair. I am prejudiced against him; let us admit that on the start, and remember it in estimating what I say. But Sinclair is the man who has turned your cousin’s head, as well as made things in other ways unpleasant for several of us. Sinclair—I tell you so you will
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