ar!" exclaimed Mrs. Kane, who was the first to hear
the story. "My son, my Lester! How could he have done it!"

"And such a creature!" exclaimed Louise emphatically, as though the
words needed to be reiterated to give them any shadow of reality.

"I went there solely because I thought I could help him," continued
Louise. "I thought when they said he was indisposed that he might be
seriously ill. How should I have known?"

"Poor Lester!" exclaimed her mother. "To think he would come to
anything like that!"

Mrs. Kane turned the difficult problem over in her mind and, having
no previous experiences whereby to measure it, telephoned for old
Archibald, who came out from the factory and sat through the
discussion with a solemn countenance. So Lester was living openly with
a woman of whom they had never heard. He would probably be as defiant
and indifferent as his nature was strong. The standpoint of parental
authority was impossible. Lester was a centralized authority in
himself, and if any overtures for a change of conduct were to be made,
they would have to be very diplomatically executed.

Archibald Kane returned to the manufactory sore and disgusted, but
determined that something ought to be done. He held a consultation
with Robert, who confessed that he had heard disturbing rumors from
time to time, but had not wanted to say anything. Mrs. Kane suggested
that Robert might go to Chicago and have a talk with Lester.

"He ought to see that this thing, if continued, is going to do him
irreparable damage," said Mr. Kane. "He cannot hope to carry it off
successfully. Nobody can. He ought to marry her or he ought to quit. I
want you to tell him that for me."

"All well and good," said Robert, "but who's going to convince him?
I'm sure I don't want the job."

"I hope to," said old Archibald, "eventually; but you'd better go
up and try, anyhow. It can't do any harm. He might come to his
senses."

"I don't believe it," replied Robert. "He's a strong man. You see
how much good talk does down here. Still, I'll go if it will relieve
your feelings any. Mother wants it."

"Yes, yes," said his father distractedly, "better go."

Accordingly Robert went. Without allowing himself to anticipate any
particular measure of success in this adventure, he rode pleasantly
into Chicago confident in the reflection that he had all the powers of
morality and justice on his side.

Upon Robert's arrival, the third morning after Louise's