"Why, that dang fool of a Virgil Adams!" he exclaimed.

"He wouldn't even give me a chance to talk; and he got me so mad I couldn't hardly talk, anyway! He might 'a' known from the first I wasn't going to let him walk in and beat me out of my own--that is, he might 'a' known I wouldn't let him get ahead of me in a business matter--not with my boys twitting me about it every few minutes! But to talk to me the way he did this morning--well, he was out of his head; that's all! Now, wait just a minute," he interposed, as she seemed about to speak.

"In the first place, we aren't going to push this case against your brother.

I believe in the law, all right, and business men got to protect themselves; but in a case like this, where restitution's made by the family, why, I expect it's just as well sometimes to use a little influence and let matters drop.

Of course your brother'll have to keep out o' this state; that's all." "But--you said----" she faltered.
"Yes.