"Oh, well, we'll not row," he tried to say easily. "We
understand each other, and we're each trying to help the other
fellow's game--that's the main point."
The two men left, Jimmie without kissing his daughter good-night. This
caused Maggie no surprise. A kiss, not the lack of it, would have been
the thing that would have excited wonder in Maggie.
Barney went away well satisfied on the whole with the manner in which
the affair was progressing, and with his management of it and of
Maggie. Maggie was obstinate, to be sure; but he'd soon work that out
of her. He was now fully convinced of the soundness of his explanation
of Maggie's poor performance of that night: she had just had an off
day.
As for Maggie, after they had gone she sat up long, thinking--and her
thoughts reverted irresistibly to Larry. His visit had been most
distracting. But she was not going to let it affect her purpose. If
anything, she was more determined than ever to be what she had told
him she was going to be, to prove to him that he could not influence
her.
She tried to keep her mind off Larry, but she could not. He was for
her so many questions. How had he escaped?--thrown off both police
and old friends? Where was he now? What was he doing? And when and how
was he going to reappear and interfere?--for Maggie had no doubt, now
that she knew him to be in New York, that he would come again; and
again try to check her.
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