ng, and you'd welcome me with open
arms. But he was unfortunate. Why, Billy Delmore was the best man in the
world. He'd give away the last dollar he had to a friend. I wish to God
he was alive now! He'd help to save your son. I wouldn't have to come
here to ask you."

Mr. Jeffries shifted uneasily on his feet and looked away.

"You don't seem to understand," he said impatiently. "I've completely
cut him off from the family. It's as if he were dead."

She approached nearer and laid her hand gently on the banker's arm.

"Don't say that, Mr. Jeffries. It's wicked to say that about your own
son. He's a good boy at heart, and he's been so good to me. Ah, if you
only knew how hard he's tried to get work I'm sure you'd change your
opinion of him. Lately he's been drinking a little because he was
disappointed in not getting anything to do. But he tried so hard. He
walked the streets night and day. Once he even took a position as guard
on the elevated road. Just think of it, Mr. Jeffries, your son--to such
straits were we reduced--but he caught cold and had to give it up. I
wanted to go to work and help him out. I always earned my living before
I married him, but he wouldn't let me. You don't know what a good heart
he's got. He's been weak and foolish, but you know he's only a boy."

She watched his face to see if her words were having any effect, but Mr.
Jeffries showed no sign of relenting. Sarcastically, he said:

"And you took advantage of the fact and married him?"

For a moment she made no reply. She felt the reproach was not unmerited,
but why should they blame her for seeking happiness? Was she not
entitled to it as much as any other woman? She had not married Howard
for his social position or his money. In fact, she had been worse off
since her marriage than she was before. She married him because she
loved him, and because she thought she could redeem him, and she was
ready to go through any amount of suffering to prove her disinterested
devotion. Quietly, she said:

"Yes, I know--I did wrong. But I--I love him, Mr. Jeffries. Believe me
or not--I love him. It's my only excuse. I thought I could take care of
him. He needed some one to look after him, he's too easily influenced.
You know his character is not so strong as it might be. He told me that
his fellow students at college used to hypnotize him and make him do all
kinds of things to amuse the other boys. He says that somehow he's never
been the same since.