a explained in short, broken sentences:

"He and I were once engaged. I broke it off when I found him out. After
I married Mr. Jeffries I met Underwood again. Foolishly, I allowed the
old intimacy to be renewed. He took advantage and preyed on my friends.
I forbade him my house. He wrote me a letter in which he threatened to
kill himself. I was afraid he meant it--I wanted to prevent him. I went
to his rooms that night. I--didn't tell Mr. Jeffries. When the truth is
known and I acknowledge that I visited this man--can you see what it
means?--what a fuss there'll be? Everybody will put the worst
construction on it----"

"Trust them for that!" said Annie grimly. She was sorry for the woman's
distress, yet, being only human, she felt a certain sense of
satisfaction in seeing her suffer a little of what she had been made to
suffer.

"They'll say that I--God knows what they'll say!" went on Alicia
distractedly. "My husband will be dragged through the mire of another
public scandal--his social prestige will--oh, I dare not think of it--I
know--I know--my duty is to that unfortunate boy. I mustn't think of
myself."

"Have you the letter that Mr. Underwood wrote you?" demanded her
companion.

"Yes--I've never been able to destroy it. I don't know why I kept it,
but thank God I have it!" Moaning, she went on:

"The disgrace!--the disgrace!--it's ruin!--degradation! It's the end of
everything!--the end of everything!"

Annie regarded with contempt this poor, weak, wailing creature who
lacked the moral courage to do what was merely right. Yet her voice was
not unkind as she said:

"I don't want to disgrace you--or ruin you. But what am I to do--tell
me, what am I to do?"

"I don't know," moaned her companion helplessly.

"Howard must be saved."

"Yes."

"Will you tell Judge Brewster or shall I?"

"Judge Brewster! Why should he know?" cried Alicia, startled. More
composedly and as if resigned to the inevitable, she went on: "Yes, I
suppose he must know sooner or later, but, I----"

She broke down again and burst into tears. Annie watched her in silence.

"It's tough--isn't it?" she said sympathetically.

"Yes," sobbed Alicia through her tears, "it's--it's tough!" Rising, she
dried her eyes and said hastily: "Don't say anything now. Give me a few
hours. Then I can think what is best to be done."

Annie was about to reply when the office door suddenly opened and Judge
Brewster entered. Addressing Alicia, he sai