The Man in the Twilight

is well-cut, well-cared-for black suit. For all he was past middle life there was little about him to emphasise the fact unless it were his trim, well-

s wife had only just finished breakfast. Sarah Nisson was sitting beside the anthracite stove which radiated its plea

etter. She turned a face that was still pretty for all her

r enquiring look melted into a gentle smile. "The

the lawyer responded without turning. A

Nancy McDona

n laid her

hey seem just as foolishly ordered as we believe our own to be well and truly ordered. I don't know who it was said 'all men are fools,' or liars, or something, but I guess he was right. Yes, we're all fools. I really don't know how we manage to get through a day

the way Leslie Martin, or Leslie Standi

most

d become seriousl

mp hands. Her brown eyes were twinkling, and her broad, unlined brow was calmly serene. Her iron-grey hair was as carefully dressed as thou

t poor girl coming to see you to-day. The other Nancy, I mean. I don't think I'd feel so bad about things if it wasn't for her. You know, I like Leslie. And I was as fond of his wife as I just could be, for all she made a fool of herself when she married that hateful James McDonald, who was no better than a revolutionary. Thank goodness he died and got out before he could do any harm. But I do think Leslie and poor Nancy were selfish about her child. I don't believe it was so much him as Nancy. From the moment Leslie came on the s

shook

ike to

t w

en, straight out from college, at the beginning of life, with her, head full of 'whys,' and 'wherefores.' Sixteen's well-nigh grown up these days, mind you. Her mother's dead, and curiously the fact didn't seem to break her up as you'd have expected it to. Why?" The man shrugged.

dy to qualify for their posts. They haven't a notion beyond stuffing her poor wee head with the sort of view of life set down in fool history books. They say she's clever and bright. Well, that's all they care about. When they've done with her they'll have knocked all the girl out of her, and turned her adrift on the world behind a pair of disfiguring spectacles, with her beautiful hair all scratched

wyer shook his head and smiled. "You know, Sally, you're almost an outrage on the s

nd smiling threat interr

es," his wife admonished. "If you aren't ca

mother, and went to her funeral. Now then, Nancy's coming to see me to-day. Remember she's sixteen. She's got to learn from me the settlement Leslie's made on her. She's got to learn further that she isn't likely to ever see her stepfather. She knows I'm his business man. She knows I'm his friend. Well, when she's financially independent, do you think she'll feel like rushing into our arms, here, for a home, feeling the way I believe she does about her parent? It's going to be difficult, and-damned unpleasant. And for all I'm ready to help Leslie anyway

horrified. "Not the McDonald lot. They're all revolutiona

n move

way, I'll do the best I know for t

y abated, and she

," she said. "But the

all about it when I've fixed things. Thank goodness it's quit snowing an

*

r a politician, or anything else. The son was patient, temperate, and of no great ambition. But he was also keenly intelligent. Without impulse, or striking originality, but with a tremendous capacity for hard work, he was bound to

hich disturbed him. His real concern was for his friend, Leslie Standing, and the disaster, which, in a seemingly overwhelming rush had befallen at f

e story of disaster. And, to his sturdy mind, it was a d

uring that time their friendship had been sorely tested. There had been times when the lawyer's native patience had been unequal to the strain. There had been times when his temper had leapt from under the bonds which so strongly h

omfortable down-town office which overlooked Abercrombie's principal thoroughfare, that he felt like abandoning all responsibility in the chaos of his friend's affairs. But this was on

stepdaughter. Then, as the hands of the clock approached the hour of his appointment,

ed his intention of going away. Where? Definite information had been withheld. He was going to devote himself to some purpose he claimed to have always lain at the back of his mind. What was that purpose? Again there had been no information fo

esponsibility for the neglected stepdaughter had similarly been flung upon his shoulders. And, satisfied with this manner of disposing of his worldly concerns, Standing intended to fare forth, shorn of any poss

the clock and the lawyer yielded to professional instinct. He became absorbed in the

unced, in the modulated tone which

ith a smiling welcome. The sex and personality of h

. In her simple college girl's overcoat, with its muffling of fur about the neck, it was impossible to detect the graces of the youthful figure

deeply fringed with a wealth of curling, dark lashes, that inspired his smiling interest. It was the level brows, so delicately pencilled, and dark as were the

dly correct halls of Marypoint College, which was also the soulless home she had been condemned to

as directed against the stepfather whom she believed to be the cause of the banishment she had had to endure. Furthermore, she could never forget that her b

ply to his letter summoning her. There was no need f

for me?"

confusion, she suddenly realised the welcoming hand outheld. She took it hurriedly,

the law says he's my stepfather. He's robbed me of my mother. Oh, it's cruel. Now he's going to rob me of everything else I s'pose. Who is he? What is he that he has the power to-to make me a sort of slave to his wishes? I've never seen him. I hate him, and he hates me, and yet-oh-I'm kind of sorry,"

ed man.' But also bec

rl of childhood's years. He knew that Nancy had inherited largely from her father, that headstrong, headlong creature whose mentality had driven him to every length in a wild endeavour to upset civilisation t

ist. "Maybe you'd like to remove your overshoes, too. There's a big talk to make, and I want to get th

as removed in a moment and flung across a chair, and she stood

th a laugh which a moment before must have been impossible.

t sit rig

his desk. His movements were swift now. He ha

she loved to call "Uncle Charlie" passed round to his. He gave her

can get a grip of things that many much older girls could never hope to. That's why I want to tell you the things I'm going to. Now you've worked it out in your mind that your stepfather is just a heartless, selfish creature who has no sort of use for you, and just wants to forget your existence. He married your mother, but had no idea of taking on he

d then?

ushed under her stirring emo

f. Those circumstances I can't explain." Charles Niss

t contains, and hear what they have to say about it, and see if they won't think better of your stepfather than you do. You needn't read it now," as the girl turned the pages and glanced down the confusion of legal phraseology

ty glad to have you think better of him. I think just now he needs the kind

A curious anxiety wa

mean he's done wrong? What d'y

shook

love. Every good thought he ever had was bound up in your mother. And your mother was his strong support, and literally his guiding star. You've lost your mo

die," the girl

ead, leaving you heir to what is contained in that deed. He's just a poor devil of a man hunted and haunted through the rest of his existence by the memory of a love that was more than life to him. Try and think better of him, Nancy, my dear. He's got enough to bear. I think he deserves

pity had swept away the last of a resentment which had seemed so bitter, so implacable. It was the generous heart of the child, shorn, for the

, in a low voice. "

control of your income. That is," he explained, "I shall see that you don't handle it recklessly. During that time, subject to my approval, you can make your home with whom you like. After you've passed your twenty-first birthday you are as free as air to go or come, to live where you choose, and how you choose. And your income will be forthcoming from this office-every quarter. Do you understand all that, my dear? It's so very simple. Your stepfather has gone to the limit to show you how well he desires for you, and how free of his authority he wants you to be. There is another generous act of his that will be made clear

he letter asid

ion I had from him. And they're not the words of

s too strong for her. Two great tears r

id a gentle hand on the heaving shoulder, while Nancy strove

thanks to him. Now let's forget about it all. Just take that paper back to school with you. And maybe you'll write, or come and let me know what you think about it. If you feel like making your home with us, why, that way you'll just co