Indeed, in cogitating on this latter incongruity,
Shirley recalled that the extraordinary fellow had been forced rather
abruptly to check himself in order to avoid a fervid declaration of
love! And all of this under the protection of a double-bitted axe,
one eye on her and the other on his enemies.
However, all of these grave crimes and misdemeanors were really
insignificant compared with his crowning offense. What had infuriated
Shirley was the fact that she had been at some pains to inform Bryce
Cardigan that she loathed him--whereat he had looked her over coolly,
grinned a little, and declined to believe her! Then, seemingly as if
fate had decreed that her futility should be impressed upon her still
further, Bryce Cardigan had been granted an opportunity to save, in a
strikingly calm, heroic, and painful manner, her and her uncle from
certain and horrible death, thus placing upon Shirley an obligation
that was as irritating to acknowledge as it was futile to attempt to
reciprocate.
That was where the shoe pinched. Before that day was over she had
been forced to do one of two things--acknowledge in no uncertain
terms her indebtedness to him, or remain silent and be convicted of
having been, in plain language, a rotter. So she had telephoned him
and purposely left ajar the door to their former friendly relations.
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