Presently another thought came to Shirley. She knew Bryce Cardigan
was far from being indifferent to her; she had given him his
opportunity to be friendly with her again, and he had chosen to
ignore her though sorely against his will. For weeks Shirley had
pondered this mysterious action, and now she thought she caught a
glimpse of the reason underlying it all. In Sequoia, Bryce Cardigan
was regarded as the heir to the throne of Humboldt's first timber-
king, but Shirley knew now that as a timber-king, Bryce Cardigan bade
fair to wear a tinsel crown. Was it this knowledge that had led him
to avoid her?
"I wonder," she mused. "He's proud. Perhaps the realization that he
will soon be penniless and shorn of his high estate has made him
chary of acquiring new friends in his old circle. Perhaps if he were
secure in his business affairs--Ah, yes! Poor boy! He was desperate
for fifty thousand dollars!" Her heart swelled. "Oh, Bryce, Bryce,"
she murmured, "I think I'm beginning to understand some of your fury
that day in the woods. It's all a great mystery, but I'm sure you
didn't intend to be so--so terrible. Oh, my dear, if we had only
continued to be the good friends we started out to be, perhaps you'd
let me help you now. For what good is money if one cannot help one's
dear friends in distress.
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