kness of the flesh,
he had little confidence in its strength. Consequently, he dismissed
now, with a wave of his hand, consideration of the possibility that
Nan Brent would ever make a fitting mate for his son.

"It's nice of you to believe that, Donald. I would not destroy your
faith in human nature, for human nature will destroy your faith in
time, as it has destroyed mine. I'm afraid I'm a sort of doubting
Thomas. I must see in order to believe; I must thrust my finger into
the wound. I wonder if you realize that, even if this poor girl
should, at some future time, be enabled to demonstrate her innocence
of illicit love, she has been hopelessly smeared and will never,
never, be quite able to clean herself."

"It matters not if _I_ know she's a good woman. That is all
sufficient. To hell with what the world thinks! I'm going to take my
happiness where I find it."

"It may be a long wait, my son."

"I will be patient, sir."

"And, in the meantime, I shall be a doddering old man, without a
grandson to sweeten the afternoon of my life, without a hope for
seeing perpetuated all those things that I have considered worth
while because I created them. Ah, Donald, lad, I'm afraid you're going
to be cruel to your old father!"

"I have suffered with the thought that I might appear to be, dad. I
have considered every phase of the situation; I was certain of the
attitude you would take, and I feel no resentment because you have
taken it. Neither Nan nor I had contemplated the condition which
confronts us. It happened--like that," and Donald snapped his fingers.
"Now the knowledge of what we mean to each other makes the obstacles
all the more heart-breaking. I have tried to wish, for your sake, that
I hadn't spoken--that I had controlled myself, but, for some
unfathomable reason, I cannot seem to work up a very healthy
contrition. And I think, dad, this is going to cause me more suffering
than it will you."

A faint smile flitted across old Hector's stern face. Youth! Youth! It
always thinks it knows!

"This affair is beyond consideration by the McKayes, Donald. It is
utterly impossible! You must cease calling on the girl."

"Why, father?"

"To give you my real reason would lead to endless argument in which
you would oppose me with more or less sophistry that would be
difficult to combat. In the end, we might lose our tempers. Let us
say, therefore, that you must cease calling on the lass because I
desire it."

"I