Judge Elbridge

en Howard entered. She asked him if he had seen his father that morning

seen him? Why

eated his question. "Because he spoke of you at breakfast," s

ains it,"

what?" s

eatment

you? Has anyth

ed, seemed to struggle with himself, sat down, and asked me to leave him alone. He never acted that way toward me before. I'm afrai

don't let it worry

did he say about me at the table this morning? He surely w

only asked where you were, and kept

eason you asked me

fact that he didn't

y life, sick or well. It hurts me." And, after a slight

out of the breakfast room he put his han

ing about, asked if they had seen Goyle.

ave you noticed anything stra

didn't seem to be as well as usual. It will pass off. I wonder where that

d mused, aloud. "Then he is not well. George knows it and do

to help him with an important matter-some abstract of title, or something of the sort, and they went out and he

o they try to shield me? It would be all right to shield mother if an

ays had a quick influence upon him, and he threw off the heavier part of his worry and they talked of other matters, of the reception which he had attended the night before. He repeated a part of a stupid address deli

ow him very well. He comes into the down-town office quite frequently,

s to her." She looked at Howard, and saw that his worry was returning upon him. She put the hair back from his forehead, affection's most instinct

e an atmospher

yours, not mine. Love

ow than ever before." Their faces were turned from the hall door. The Judge silently entered, and, seeing them, started toward them, making motions with his hands as if he would tear them apart. But Howard

t woman, nothing but God, an

ernity," he replied; and the Judge wheeled

e asked, looking round.

and should not have heard them,"

you," he said, as they got up. "I don't belong to the plot

" said Howard. "You surely wouldn't leav

, "What's that? You don't hear it? You don't? Now what have I e

g at all, Un

here? Haven't I passed sleepless nights devising things for your good? You can

lorence, "he wouldn't insu

the best of 'em in my time, I'll tell you that. But it's no joke when you come talking about not hearing a man's pipe. It's a reflection on his clea

opes that it was strong, not to cast any reflection, you understand, but to show my app

now, I do believe that it has got to be just

stronger than th

rdial and confidential, and I don't mind telling you-to go no further, mind you-that my ol

ay go and get it a

orence, did that preacher go away so suddenly last nigh

t because he ha

ound him, I've got a right to settle it as my memory dictates. D

about, Uncle Bill

ry I was goi

ou tel

. Then I made a mess of it. How do you expect me to tell a story

what you mean,

ole kit of you are dev

't include me,"

anged if he didn't snap at me like a turtle-told me to get out of his office. Shall I tell you what he said? He

orence. It hurts me." He walked toward the door. Florence asked him if he were going to his father. He turned and stood for a moment in silence. "No, I am going down town. I don't feel right. I am hurt. But don't say anything to him, please. I am

used to know his father, but I'll attend to that. Why does a great, strong fellow as he is want to throw away his time? Why doesn't he get to work?" He sat down and, looking toward the piano,

iam. Here's Agnes. S

a refusal, but he did not. He bowed to her and said: "Now, that's the way to talk. I like to have a woman come right o

f on the stool and began to ripple on the keys. "There are times wh

bbling now," Fl

your dressmaker is out there

Oh, and I must tell you something. Brothe

iffed and turned back. "I hate him so hard that

kin, Agnes. There is alway

uously. "He's been following me around

earn to love him if she loved to hate him. Both love and hate were kindred passions, with but a thin partition between them. As she was going out, Agnes shouted afte

in Quincy?"

g round, repeated: "Tar a

looked at her as in the rhythmic sway of her graceful form, the nodding of her shapely head, she kept time with a tune, half

nk she

e alone

t to snatch

of verse, and a three-cornered piece of silk that no man

ed her, but I

e me alone

ry. "All right," he said, but quickly added: "We've got to go down town, you know. I'll

with me! Cool, coming from a man whose honor I have saved at the ri

given it to yo

murder. But that's all right," he broke off, wi

at the girl, cleared his throat, coughed; but she di

she replied, wit

haven't

yed in Quincy one night, when they tarred and feathered a man," she said. And then

ver tarred and

never in the town. Oh, somebody told me

e. I couldn't sing in a ch

se opera, I infe

only sort I could sing

. It was something about Sin

ds like a jo

a instead of comic. They call serious opera grand, I believe. And

had just left the room; and in looking at her he felt that his eyes refused to glitter with a snake-like

ing up an unpleas

ence in his eyes, for he got up and moved toward her

y something fo

o play. I don't

gers dream ov

asleep." She mo

afraid of me

ye. "My grandmother kil

h him. In the dictionary of slang there is a word to fit him: the resources of his "gall" were b

like a villain you'd

see each other again. Won'

ands with a stranger we are n

s," he persisted, "we

, we'll n

g enough to assure them that he was not trying to b

feather," she replied. "He can

I but for you,

at him. "What nerve

es me a tonic when

"I am woman enough to like that s

t like me. Why this discrep

now. You give

e very

s would make a

tention, and he was bold enough to ask her if she had got throug

of town for a day or two-or, at least, I may. Wil

that at last he was making some sort

w. "You can hope that you may, and I

admiringly. "Miss Needle-tongu

said, and she replied that she hoped so. As the two men were going out the Judge came in. G