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"I 'd sure have to," he answered, and she saw his mouth set grimly. "You're only a soft woman, but you see. Miss, I can't afford to go to jail. No, Miss, I sure can't. There's a friend of mine waitin' for me out West. He 's in a hole, and I 've got to help him out." The mouth shaped even more grimly. "I guess I could choke you without hurting you much to speak of."

Her eyes took on a baby stare of innocent incredulity as she watched him.

"I never met a burglar before," she assured him, "and I can't begin to tell you how interested I am."

"I'm not a burglar. Miss. Not a real one," he hastened to add as she looked her amused unbelief. "It looks like it, me being here in your house. But it 's the first time I ever tackled such a job. I needed the money—bad. Besides, I kind of look on it like collecting what 's coming to me."

"I don't understand," she smiled encouragingly. "You came here to rob, and to rob is to take what is not yours."

"Yes, and no, in this here particular case. But I reckon I 'd better be going now."

He started for the door of the dining-room,