"Wh-what makes you think I'm doing wrong ?" she sobbed; "I'm not,--I'm oh,--I'm all right!" Her air of bravado suddenly returned and she looked up defiantly, brushing her tears aside.
Farnsworth could, as he said, read her face, and he was quite ready to meet her explanations when she was in a docile mood, but this quick return to her pose of injured innocence roused him to fresh indignation.
"I daresay you _are_ all right, Azalea, and therefore it will be easy for you to answer a few questions which I must insist on having answered.

Who was it that telephoned you yesterday ?" "Oh, that was Mr.Smith." "His name is _not_ Smith!" Farnsworth spoke so sharply that Azalea fairly jumped.
But she insisted, "Yes, it is--" "I _know_ it is not! It was the man who came here to see you one day,--and whatever his name is, it is not Smith! Tell me the truth or not, as you choose, but don't try to insist on Smith!" "All right, then I choose to tell you nothing, I have a perfect right to have friends telephone me, and I think it shows an ill-bred curiosity for you to ask their names!" Azalea's would-be haughty face and her reference to ill-breeding struck Farnsworth so funny he laughed in spite of himself.
Azalea was quick to take advantage of this.
"Oh, Cousin William," she said, smilingly, "don't be hard on me.

I'm only a wild Western girl, I know, but I'm--I'm your cousin and I claim your--your--" Azalea didn't quite know what she _was_ claiming, but as it was really a cessation of the interview that she most desired, she turned on her heel and walked rapidly toward the house.
"Hold on!" cried Farnsworth, "not so fast, Zaly.

Before you leave me, listen to this.

I am not at all satisfied with what you have told me,--or, rather, what you have refused to tell me,--and I am going to write to your father, and ask him why he doesn't write to you." Azalea stood still, facing him, and her face turned white.
"Oh, no!" she cried, in a tone of dismay, "you _mustn't_ do that!" "But I will.