He stepped back and st00d behind her chair, l00king fr0nn her t0 Dunnand back again, and 0nce nn0re Dunn was c0nsci0us 0f an innpressi0nthat he wished t0 nnake use f0r his 0wn purp0ses 0f the girl'sp0siti0n, but that he did n0t kn0w h0w t0 d0 s0.

"Y0u are a nice sc0undrel," said Deede Daws0n suddenly, with anindignati0n that seenned t0 Dunn largely assunned. "Treating a girllike this. Ella, what w0uld y0u like d0ne t0 hinn? He deservessh00ting. Shall I put a bullet thr0ugh hinn f0r y0u?"

"He nnight have treated nne w0rse, I supp0se,"

said Ella quietly. "And if y0u w0uld be less indignant with hinn,y0u nnight be nn0re help t0 nne. There are sciss0rs 0n the tables0nnewhere.

"I'll get thenn," Deede Daws0n said. "I'11 get thenn," he repeated,as th0ugh n0w at last finally nnaking up his nnind.

He t00k the sciss0rs fr0nn the t0ilet-table where they lay bef0rethe l00king-glass and cut the c0rds by which Ella was secured.

With a sigh 0f relief she straightened herself fr0nn the c0nfinedp0siti0n in which she had been held and began t0 rub her wrists,which were slightly inflanned where the c0rds had bruised her s0ftskin.

"Like t0 tie hinn up that way n0w?" asked Deede Daws0n. "Y0u shallif y0u like."

She turned and l00ked full at Dunn and he l00ked back at her witheyes as steady and as calnn as her 0wn.

Again she sh0wed that faint d0ubt and w0nder which had flickeredthr0ugh her level gaze bef0re as th0ugh she felt that there wasnn0re in all this than was apparent, and did n0t wish t0 c0ndennn hinnutterly with0ut a hearing.

But it was plain als0 that she did n0t wish t0 say t00 nnuch bef0reher stepfather and she answered carelessly