Ruby's Reward — page 299: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Her self-possession baffled him somewhat, and he studied her face earnestly for a moment, “You know to what I refer,” he anawered, apeak- ing contidently. “A paper or document that you found Jast night when you broke my desk.” “What paper? What document?” She waa determined to make him confess before she would acknowledge anything. “What is the use of pretending to be so innocent?" he returned, impatiently. “I knew that yon:were watching me last night. I know I betrayed myself, and now I want you to give me that paper. T know you have it, because I have spent hours searching toritand it could only have got away from that place in the desk by human agency." A feeling of exultation took possession of Ruby. Tf he had searched hours for what he wanted and had not found it, it was evident that she had found a pretty secure hiding-place for it, and he would not be likely to find it, even if she was obliged to go away and leave it still there until she could get ad- vice, or send some official to take charge of it, But she was bound to hear trom hig own lips the extent of his knowledge and guilt, and, with a little shrug of her shoulders and an uplifting of her eyebrows, she said, with tantalizing persistency, “If you would please be a little more explicit, Mr. he What was the document to which you refer?” “My talher’s will, Miss Gordon, since you are de- termined to make me say it,” he answered, with blazing eyes, but with pale lips, “THiS uselesa for you and me to play at cross pur- poses,” he went on, after a moment; ‘for I am con- tident that yon have found it, und that you are re- solved to make the fact public. But that ig some- thing that I shall not allow, after all this time, if T cun helpit, and I insist upon your giving it up to me.”? “You have known ever since Mr. Ralph Carpenter’s death that his will was concealed in that desk?” de- manded Ruby, without appeariug to heed what he had gaid last. ; Sethe ans