azed at Larry with a hard look. Then he demanded abruptly:

"Show Miss Sherwood that picture of Maggie I painted?"

"No. I had my reasons."

"What you going to do with it?"

"Keep it, and pay you your top price for it when I've got the money."

"H'm! Told Miss Sherwood what's doing about Dick?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I thought of doing it, then I decided against it. For the same reason
I just gave you--that it might lead to exposure, and that exposure would
defeat my plans."

"You seem to be forgetting that your plan leaves Dick in danger. Dick
deserves some consideration."

"And I'm giving it to him," argued Larry. "I'm thinking of him as much
as of Maggie. Or almost as much. His sister and friends have pulled him
out of a lot of scrapes. He's not a bit wiser or better for that kind
of help. And it's not going to do him any good whatever to have some one
step in and take care of him again. He's been a good friend to me, but
he's a dear fool. I want to handle this so he'll get a jolt that will
waken him up--make him take his responsibilities more seriously--make
him able to take care of himself."

"Huh!" grunted Hunt. "You've certainly picked out a few man-sized jobs
for yourself: to make a success of the straight life for yourself--to
come out ahead of the police and your old pals--to make Maggie love the
Ten Commandments--to put me across--to make Dick into a level-headed
citizen. Any other little item you'd like to take on?"

Larry ignored the irony of the question. "Some of those things I'm going
to do," he said confidently. "And any I see I'm going to fail in, I'll
get warning to the people involved. But to come back to your promise:
are you willing to give your promise now that you know all the facts?"

Hunt pulled for a long moment at his pipe. Then he said almost gruffly:

"I guess you've guessed that Isabel Sherwood is about the most important
person in the world to me?"

That was the nearest Hunt had ever come to telling that he loved Miss
Sherwood. Larry nodded.

"I'm in bad there already. Suppose your foot slips and everything about
Dick goes wrong. What'll be my situation when she learns I've known all
along and have just stood by quietly and let things happen? See what
I'll be letting myself in for?"

"I do," said Larry, his spirits sinking. "And of course I can understand
your decision not to give your promise."

"Who said I wouldn't give my promise?" demanded Hunt. "Of course I
give