"Listen!" cried the boy excitedly. "This boy has been
offered a hundred dollars for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of the men who robbed and mur-
dered in Oakdale last night. I'll give him a hundred
dollars if he'll go away and say nothing about us."
"Look here, son," said Bridge, "every time you open
your mouth you put your foot in it. The less you adver-
tise the fact that you have a hundred dollars the better
off you'll be. I don't know how you come by so much
wealth; but in view of several things which occurred
last night I should not be crazy, were I you, to have to
make a true income tax return. Somehow I have faith in
you; but I doubt if any minion of the law would be
similarly impressed."
The Oskaloosa Kid appeared hurt and crestfallen.
Giova shot a suspicious glance at him. The other girl in-
voluntarily drew away. Bridge noted the act and shook
his head. "No," he said, "we mustn't judge one another
hastily, Miss Prim, and I take it you are Miss Prim?"
The girl made a half gesture of denial, started to speak,
hesitated and then resumed. "I would rather not say
who I am, please," she said.
"Well," said the man, "let's take one another at face
value for a while, without digging too deep into the
past; and now for our plans.
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