t child to death. It's up to me.
Some day I'm hoping it's coming my way handing her some sort of
happiness. That being so I kind of feel she's got to get the other
side of things through me. God knows it's going to be tough for her,
poor little kid, but well, it's up to me to help her through."

There was something tremendously gentle in the man's outburst. He was
so big. There was so much force in his manner. And yet the infinite
tenderness of his regard for the girl was apparent in every shadow of
expression that escaped him.

Bill understood. But for once the position was reversed. The doctor's
kindly, twinkling eyes seemed to have absorbed all that which usually
looked out of the other's. They were calm, even hard. There was
bitter anger in them. His mellow philosophy had broken down before the
human feelings so deeply stirred. He had passed the lover's feelings
over for a reversion to the tragedy at the Elysian Fields. It was the
demoniac character of the detested Pap Shaunbaum. It was the hideous
uselessness of it all. It was the terrible viciousness of this leper
city which had brought the whole thing about.

But was it? His mind went further back. There was another tragedy,
equally wanton, equally ferocious. The father as well as the son, and
he marveled, and wondered at the purpose of Providence in permitting
such a cruel devastation of the lives of two helpless, simple women.

His sharp tones broke the silence.

"Yes," he exclaimed, "this thing needs to be hunted down, John. It
needs to be hunted down till the 'pound's' paid. Those two lone women
are my best friends. Guess they're something more to you. I can't see
daylight. I can't see where it's coming from, anyway. But some one's
got to get it. And we need a hand in passing it to him, whoever it is.
I feel just now there wouldn't be a thing in the world more comic to me
than to see Pap Shaunbaum kicking daylight with his vulture neck tied
up. And I'd ask no better of Providence than to make it so I could
laugh till my sides split. It's going to mean dollars an' dollars, and
time, and a big work. But if we don't do it, why, Pap gets away with
his play. We can't stand for that. My bank roll's open."

"It doesn't need to be." All the gentleness had passed from Kars'
eyes, from his whole manner. It had become abrupt again. "Guess money
can't repay those poor folks' losses. But it can do a deal to boost
justice along. It'