"
Parker flushed.
"Can you produce that fifty-thousand-dollar check? I happen to know it
has not been cashed."
"No, I cannot, Mr. Parker."
Kay opened her purse and tossed the check across to her father.
"It was drawn in your favor, dad," she informed him; "so I concluded it
was your property, and when Mr. Farrel came by it--ah, illegally--and
showed it to me, I retained it."
"Good girl! Mr. Farrel, have you any objection to my returning this
check?"
"Not the slightest. It has served its purpose. However, you will have
to wait until you meet Loustalot somewhere outside the boundaries of
the Rancho Palomar, sir. I had comforted myself with the thought that
he was safe under lock and key here, but, to my vast surprise, I met
him in the bank at El Toro making futile efforts to withdraw his cash
before I could attach the account. The confounded ingrate informs me
that Mr. Okada turned him loose."
There was no mistaking the disapproval in the glance which Parker
turned upon Okada.
"Is this true, Mr. Okada?"
"It is not true," Okada replied promptly. "I know nozzing about.
Nozzing."
"Well, Pablo thinks it is true, Mr. Okada." Don Miguel's voice was
unruffled, his manner almost benignant. "The old man is outside, and
absolutely broken-hearted. His honor appears to be quite gone. I
imagine," Don Mike continued, with a fleeting and whimsical glance at
the potato baron, "that he has evolved some primitive plan for making
his honor whole again.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186