m to accomplish his purpose and save his own skin, that would be
best. His mind ran constantly upon theft, forgery, burglary, and
murder; but he could frame no scheme which did not involve risks that
turned him sick. If he could hit upon something where he might furnish
the brains, and Sam the physical force and the risk! He dwelt upon this
day and night. He urged Sam to talk of his own troubles; of the
Matchins; at last, of Maud and his love, and it was not long before the
tortured fellow had told him what he saw in the rose-house. Strangely
enough, the thought of his fiancee leaning on the shoulder of another
man did not in the least diminish the ardor of Offitt. His passion was
entirely free from respect or good-will. He used the story to whet the
edge of Sam's hatred against Farnham.

"Why, Sam, my boy," he would say, "your honor is at stake."

"I would as soon kill him as eat," Sam answered. "But what good would
that do me? She cares no more for me than she does for you."

Offitt was sitting alone in his room one afternoon; his eyes were
staring blankly at the opposite wall; his clinched hands were cold as
ice. He had been sitting in that way motionless for an hour, a prey to
a terrible excitement.

It had come about in this way. He had met in one of the shops he
frequented a machinist who rented one of Farnham's houses. Offitt had
asked him at noon-time to come out and drink a glass of beer with him.
The man complied, and was especially careful to bring his waistcoat
with him, saying with a laugh, "I lose my shelter if I lose that."

"What do you mean?" asked Offitt.

"I've got a quarter's rent in there for Cap. Farnham."

"Why are you carrying it around all day?"

"Well, you know, Farnham is a good sort of fellow, and to keep us from
losing time he lets us come to his house in the evening, after working
hours, on quarter-day, instead of going to his office in the day-time.
You see, I trot up there after supper and get rid of this wad."

Offitt's eyes twinkled like those of an adder.

"How many of you do this?"

"Oh, a good many,--most everybody in our ward and some in the
Nineteenth."

"A good bit of money?" said Offitt carelessly, though his mouth worked
nervously.

"You bet your boots! If I had all the cash he takes in to-night, I'd
buy an island and shoot the machine business. Well, I must be gettin'
back. So long."

Offitt had walked directly home after this conversation, looking
neither to