rm, red lips remained tightly closed. "Did he?" Hermione slowly
inclined her head.

"Say now, Hermy," he went on, and his voice grew almost wheedling,
"there was a guy here the other night--a stranger, I guess--one o' these
tired, sleepy guys--one o' the reg'lar soft-talkin' nancy-boys--who is
he?" Hermione only sighed wearily, whereat his voice grew hoarse with
passion, and he questioned her fiercely: "Who is he, eh--who is he? What
was he doin' around here, anyway? Well, can't ye talk? Can't ye speak?"

Hermione only looked at him, and before those calm, fearless eyes,
M'Ginnis burned in a wild yet impotent rage.

"Won't talk, hey?" he questioned between grinding teeth. "Well, now, see
here, Hermy. If you let this guy come any love business with you behind
me back, it'll be his finish--an' he can blame you for it! An' see here
again--watch out for young Arthur. Oh!" he cried, seeing her flinch,
"you think you've got the Kid tied to ye, you think you've got him, I
guess--but you ain't! I've got him--right here!" and holding out his
hand, M'Ginnis slowly clenched it into a fist. "I've got th' Kid,
see--an' he's goin' th' way I want him--he's got to, see?"

"Ah!" she cried, her scorn and fearless pride shattered to trembling
pleading at last. "What do you mean--oh, what do you mean?"

"I mean as I want ye, an' I'm goin' to have ye!" he answered. "I mean
that instead of 'no' you're goin' t' give me 'yes'--for th' Kid's sake!"

"What do you--mean?" she said again between quivering lips, her eyes
full of a growing terror.

"Mean?" he continued relentlessly, viewing her trembling loveliness with
hungry eyes. "Well--that's what I mean!" and he pointed to the broken
flask upon the floor. "If you want t' see it in his face more an' more,
if you want t' smell it in his breath--say 'No!' If you want t' see his
hands begin t' shake, if you want t' hear his foot come stumbling up th'
stair--say 'No!' I guess you remember what it's like--you've seen it all
before. Well, if ye want Arthur t' grow into what his drunken father was
before him--say 'No!'"

"Go away!" she moaned, "go away!"

"Oh, I'll go, but first I'll tell you this--"

"I think not, Mr. Flowers--no, I'm sure you won't!"

Ravenslee's voice was soft and pleasant as usual, but before the burning
ferocity of his eyes, the merciless line of that grim, implacable mouth,
before all the hush and deadly purpose of him, the loud hectoring of
M'Ginnis seemed a thing of