“It is impossible now. My friends are getting ready. I’ve hired a band.”
“Come, my dear, you must be reasonable. I know I’ve spoiled you. I’ve loved you too well. I’ve indulged every whim of your heart and allowed you to rule me, but you can’t do this absurd and dangerous thing. You forget that you are not only making a fool of me but that you are putting my life in jeopardy.”
“I’ll assume the responsibility!” she broke in, drawing herself up with pride. “If you receive the slightest insult or a hair of your head is harmed I’ll give my life to avenge it.”
“You persist?” asked her father with a scowl. “I do,” flashed the answer.
The Judge rose, hesitated a moment and then said with stern determination:
“Then for the first time in my life, I forbid you a thing on which you have set your heart. These masked men shall not enter my house!”
“Larkin,” said the Judge, turning to the Carpetbagger, “I shall have to ask you to go to the telegraph office and order the troops here on a special. Ask them to protect me to-night from these assassins.”
Stella’s figure suddenly stiffened with incontrollable rage. She clenched her fists and sprang in front of her father screaming.
“Don’t you dare insult me by applying such epithets to my friends! If you are my father, you are a poltroon and a coward!”
“Don’t you call me darling! Don’t you dare to speak to me again! I’ll leave this house and blot your very name from my memory!”
Butler staggered back in dumb amazement and Larkin watched with a curious smile playing about the corners of his piercing eyes.
Stella stamped her foot, turned, and bounded up the stairs and into her room, slammed the door and began to scream.
The Judge stood for a moment in speechless horror. He had never crossed her imperious will before and he was utterly unprepared for her mad outburst. He loved her with all the tenderness of which his low nature was capable, and had never seen a woman in hysterics. He had therefore no standard by which to measure how much of pure devil and how much of real suffering were mingled in her cries. Each piercing scream tore his heart. He turned helplessly to Larkin and asked: “What shall I do?”
“Excuse me Judge, I can’t advise you in such a matter,” the Carpetbagger replied. “But I think you’ll have to summon a doctor.”