But, Joe--don't kill Jimmie Carlisle!"
"You keep out--this is my business!" Joe fiercely replied. "If you've
been here all the time, then you know what he's done to me, and what
he's done to my girl! You know he deserves to have his neck twisted
off--and I'm going to twist it off!"
Larry perceived that Joe's sense of tremendous injury had made him for
the moment a madman in his rage. Only the most powerful appeal had a
chance to bring him back to sanity.
"Listen, Joe--listen!" he cried desperately, straining to hold back
the other's furious strength from its destructive purpose. "After
what's happened, every one is bound to know that Maggie is your
daughter! Understand that, Joe?--every one will know that Maggie is
your daughter! It's not going to help you to be charged with murder.
And think of this, Joe--what's it going to do to your daughter to have
her father a murderer?"
"What's that?" Joe Ellison asked dazedly.
Larry saw that his point had penetrated to the other's reason. So he
drove on, repeating what he had said.
"Understand this, Joe?--every one will now know that Maggie is your
daughter! You simply can't prevent their knowing that now! Remember
how for over fifteen years you've been trying to do the best you could
for her! Do you now want to do the worst thing you can do? The worst
thing you can do for Maggie is to make her father a murderer!"
"I guess that's right Larry," he said huskily.
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