shall die; if he doesn't kill me I shall kill
myself! I opened it by mistake. I am so miserable. What has happened?
What have I done that this curse should fall on me? When I came to
this city I expected to find rest in the house of the man I loved. ...
Patty does not come over. ... What have I not suffered in silence and
with smiles? I have seen them whispering; I have seen covert smiles,
and nods, and shrugs. I knew. I was an actress. It seems that nothing
too bad or vile can be thought of her who honestly throws her soul
into the greatest gift given to woman. An actress! They speak of her
in the same tone they would use regarding a creature of the streets.
Well, because I loved my husband I have said nothing; I have let the
poison eat into my heart in silence. But this goes too far. I shall go
mad if this thing can not be settled here and now. It is both my love
and my honor. And you must do it, Richard; you must do it."

"You say McQuade called you up by telephone?"

"Yes."

He struck his forehead. The carbon sheet! He ran to his desk, pulled
out all the drawers, tumbling the papers about till he found what he
sought. From the letter to the faint imprint on the carbon sheet and
back to the letter his eyes moved, searching, scrutinizing.

"Look!" with a cry of triumph.

"What is it?"

"Do you see that mutilated letter T?" He indicated with his finger on
the dim carbon sheet.

"Yes, yes!"

"Compare it with the letter T in this note."

She did so, her hands shaking pitifully. "I can't see, Richard."

"That carbon sheet came from McQuade's office; so did that letter to
John. And now, by the Lord! now to pull out Mr. McQuade's fangs, and
slowly, too." He pocketed the two sheets. "Come!" His hat was still on
his head.

"Where, Richard?"

"To John."

"No, no! John?"

"To him. We can not settle this matter underground. We must fight in
the open, in the light. John must know. You must be brave, girl. This
is no time for timidity and tears. You know and I know that right and
truth are on our side. We'll risk it in a single throw." Upon
determining to act thus, he was acting as only a man acts who has a
wide and definite knowledge of men and affairs. "Come; the sooner it
is over the better. John may flare up a little, but he is a just man.
Let us go to John."

She put forth many arguments, but to each he shook his head. The
thought of losing a particle of John's love terrified her, who was
ordinarily a c