le town saying over and over to himself: "I am
a Conway again."

He had come to town to see Jud Carpenter about the house which had
been promised him--for he could not expect to hold Millwood much
longer. With his soberness some of his old dignity and manhood
returned, and when Carpenter saw him, the Whipper-in knew
instinctively what had happened.

He watched Edward Conway closely--the clear eye, the haughty turn of
his head, the quiet, commanding way of the man sober; and the
Whipper-in frowned as he said to himself:

"If he keeps this up I'll have it to do all over."

And yet, as he looked at him, Jud Carpenter took it all in--the
weakness that was still there, the terrible, restless thirst which
now made him nervous, irritable, and turned his soul into a very
tumult of dissatisfaction.

Carpenter, even as he talked to him, could see the fight which was
going on; and now and then, in spite of it and his determination, he
saw that the reformed drunkard was looking wistfully toward the
bar-room of Billy Buch.

And so, as Jud talked to Edward Conway about the house, he led him
along toward the bar-room. All the time he was complimenting him on
his improved health, and telling how, with help from the mill, he
would soon be on his feet again.

At the bar door he halted:

"Let us set down here an' res', Majah, sah, it's a good place on this
little porch. Have somethin'? Billy's got a mighty fine bran' of old
Tennessee whiskey in there."

Jud watched him as he spoke and saw the fire of expectancy burn in
his despairing eyes.

"No--no--Carpenter--no--I am obliged to you--but I have sworn never
to touch another drop of it. I'll just rest here with you." He threw
up his head and Jud Carpenter saw how eagerly he inhaled the odor
which came out of the door. He saw the quivering lips, the tense
straining of the throat, the wavering eyes which told how sorely he
was tempted.

It was cool, but the sweat stood in drops on Edward Conway's temple.
He gulped, but swallowed only a dry lump, which immediately sprang
back into his throat again and burned as a ball of fire.

"No--no--Carpenter," he kept saying in a dazed, abstracted
way--"no--no--not any more for me. I've promised--I've promised."

And yet even while saying it his eyes were saying: "For God's
sake--bring it to me--quick--quick."

Jud arose and went into the bar and whispered to Billy Buch. Then he
came back and sat down and talked of other things. But a