r Littell nor White took them up, and Davis in rather an
embarrassed way told Littell he would settle with him next day, that he
had not the money with him. I felt sorry for Davis, as I knew the loss,
comparatively trifling to Van Bult, must mean some inconvenience to him,
but he accepted it gracefully. By this time Benton was ready with supper
and the game was apparently forgotten.

I do not know why it was, but the usual good spirits that prevailed at
our little gatherings seemed lacking this night. Perhaps it was due to
the mood of our host, who was evidently out of humor over something.
Littell ventured one or two remarks to which we responded perfunctorily,
but White was moodily silent. I noticed he was watching me rather
closely, and was not surprised when after a while he addressed me, but
for his question I was unprepared.

"Dallas," he said, "you are in a public prosecutor's office and know
something of the evil doings of men; do you think the consciousness of a
wrong done a fellow-man clings to the wrong-doer all his life, or that
in time he may forget it?"

I answered as I believed, that it depended entirely upon the temperament
of the man, but suggested that a reparation of the injury, where that
was possible, should help matters.

"Yes," he said, "but that is not always possible."

I had nothing more to suggest on a subject so totally foreign to the
occasion and so offered no further opinion. But evidently White was in a
psychological mood, for he next directed his questions to Littell.

"Do you agree with Dallas," he asked him, "that a man's temperament
determines the matter, and that where one may find forgetfulness in
security, another cannot rid himself of the recollection of a wrong he
has done?"

Littell, indulging White's mood, replied that he had never been a public
prosecutor and was therefore denied my opportunities of speaking from
actual observation of criminals, but that if he might draw conclusions
from his own experience of men, he thought there were very few of them
whose consciences, after they had lived long enough to enjoy the
opportunity, were not freighted with some evil act or other, and yet his
acquaintanceships led him to conclude that few of them were troubled
much with their past misdeeds.

"Indeed," he continued, "I find little entertainment in minutely
reviewing my own history and therefore seldom indulge myself in the
luxury. As to my fellow-men, if they don't brand the