The Kentons

ched with tender pain as he passed up the neatly kept walk from the gate, between the blooming ranks of syringas an

ich had snowed their petals on the ground in wide circles defined by the reach of their branches, he heard the squirrels barking; a red-bird from the woody depths behind the house mocked the cat-birds in the quince-trees. The June rose was red along the trellis of the veranda, where Lottie ought to be sitting to receive the morning calls of the young men who were sometim

his hesitation. "Why don't you let Mary come

d the door-way. "I promised your mother that I would get them myself. Y

Mary!" his

law in his wife's. "My, but this is pleasant!" he added. He took off his hat and let the breeze play through the lank, thin hair which was still black on his fine, high forehead. He was a very handsome old man

ould be coming back or not, and I th

in the fall, or the latter part of the summer. But i

joy it," his s

ything of him lately

et me see anything of

t the key into the door, and his son stepped

when you've got through here, you'd better

refused breakfast at his son's house, upon the plea that the porter had given him

er than I can help." He had got the do

not shut it, father. It w

ght," said

be going through those lifeless rooms alone. When he looked round, and saw his father holding the door ajar, as if impatiently waiting for him to be gone, he laughed and waved his hand to him. "All right, father? I'm going now."

ck. But it can't

it, if I got my hand

s doing it. It's Ellen; you know that well

se so," said

ld if Ellen had some kind of awful sickness. It is a kind of sickn

er there, after a while, Mary, if father's gone too l

e to send him after something, so that he can be in there alone, and realize that the house isn't home any more. It will be easier for him to go to Eu

hought of looking at the collections for his history, but, after pulling open one of the drawers in which they were stored, he pushed it to again, and sank listlessly into his leather-covered swivel-chair, which stood in its place before the wide writing-table, and seemed to have had him in it before he sat down. The table was bare, except for the books and documents which he had sent home from time to time during the winter, and which Richard or his wife had neatly arranged there without breaking their wraps. He let fall his bundle at his feet, and sat staring at the ranks of books against the wall, mechanically relating them to the different epochs of the past in which he or his wife or his children had been interested in them, and aching with tender pain. He had always supposed himself a happy and strong and successful man, but what a dreary ruin his life had fallen into! Was it to be finally so helpless and powerless (for with all the defences about him that a man can have, he felt himself fatally vulnerable

ove, and at first he did not look up when the steps arrived at the threshold of the room where he sat. When he lifted his eyes at last he saw Bittridge lounging in the door-way, with one shoulder s

ard. He laughed and explained, "D

aid Kenton, fiercely.

, and I saw the door open, and

at you were in town. Family all well in New York?" He was not quelled by the silence of the judge on this point, but, as if he had not expected any definite reply to what might well pass for formal civility, he now looked aslant into his breast-pocket from which he drew a folded paper. "I just got hold of a document this morning

ake yourself away with it!" and he gra

would be no match for the other's vigorous youth. All he thought was that it would not avail, except to make known to every one what none but her dearest could now conjecture. Bittridge could then publicly say, and doubtless would say, that he had never made love to Ellen; that if there had been any love-making it was all on her side; and that he had only paid her the attentions which any young man might blamelessly pay a pretty girl. This would be true to the facts in the case, though it was true also that he had used every tacit art to make her believe him in love with her. But how could this truth be urged, and to whom

lently, but, as he felt, not more effectually. "You are

think I can make out a very good case for you." Kenton quivered in anticipation of some mention of Ellen, and Bittridge smiled as if he understood. But he went on to say: "I know that there were things happened after you first gave me the run of your house that might

g this comment, and Bittridge, being

but I felt like a son and brother to you all. I felt towards Mrs. Kenton just as I do towards my own mother. I lost the best friends I ever had when you turned against me. Don't you suppose I've seen the difference here in Tuskingum? Of course, the men pass the time of day with me when we meet, but they don't look me up, and there are more near-sighted girls in this town!" Kenton could not keep the remote dawn of a smile out of his eyes, and Bittridge caught the far-off gleam. "And everybody's been away the whole winter. Not a soul

and all he said, Kenton could not keep his hardness of heart towards him. "I don't know what

body else-that I saw you, and you allowed me to say that I was truly sorry for the pain-if it was pain; or annoyance,

on. "What have you writ

his world, except my mother. I haven't got the gift of showing out what's good in me, if there is any good, but I believe Miss Ellen would want to think well of me if I gave her a chance. If ever there was an angel on earth, she's one. I don't deny that I was hopeful of mercy from her, because she can't think evil, but I can lay my hand on my heart and s

nfronting the father of Ellen, who had every wish to believe him true, the effect was different. Deep within his wish to think the man honest, Kenton recoiled from him. He vaguely perceived that it was because she could not think evil that this wretch had power upon her, and he was sensible, as he had not been before, that she had no safety from him e

judge rose from his chair and went towards the window, which he had thrown open. "Going to

so," Kenton

e hall together. "It's all right," he reported on his quick return. "I'll just look round below here," and he explored the ground-floor ro

elplessly, and he let Bittridge close

left, I understand. But I guess Dick's man has looked after them. I'd have offered to take charge of the cocoons myself if I'd had a chance." He walked, gayly chatting, across the intervening lawn with Kenton to his son's door, where at sight

" said Kent

ok off his hat with his left hand, while he o

in-law appeared from the obscurity into which she had retired from Bittridge.

adequately with Bittridge. He felt it the more in the presence of his son's

me in here, if he hadn't seen me first. Did you tell him when you were goi

med to let Mary know that he had listened to Bittridge's justification, which he now perceived was none, and he would have liked to pret

lie down on the lounge; I promised Dick to make yo

go to my room,

cided not to wake him, and Mary said the sleep would do him more good than the dinner. At t

to himself; and then to think of that dirty hound skulking in! Well, perhaps it's for the best. It will make it easier, for

omething might be don

old upon father, I shall be satisfied. The worst of it is that it will be all over town in an hour that Bi

tridge, if he ever undertakes to show in my pre

d for New York the next afternoon. He was there waiting to see him off, and he all but took the adieus out of Richard's hands. He got possession of the judge's valise, and pressed past the porter into the sleeping-car with it, and remained lounging on the ar

en her husband came home a

id he find out when

erday. But I think even you would have been suited, Mary, if you h

d with anything short of yo

d. After a while he added, patiently, "Ell

hat she might have said, but since Dick had said it s

w she isn'