hrough!" he grated. "If we can keep away from them
until darkness falls, they'll be unable to follow us farther."

"But the whole country will be aroused! We can't escape! I say it was
madness!"

"How in the devil did they find it out so soon?"

"I knew they would--I knew it! The other child----"

"Looked enough like this one to pass muster for a few hours, at least,"
he interrupted. "Satan take the brat! Hear it squall!"

Again a smothered cry came from the bundle.

"Don't hurt it!" pleaded the woman. "Don't handle it so roughly!"

"Hurt it? Furies! I'd like to strangle it! Here's a path. We'll follow
that."

The path soon brought them into an old wood road, and they mounted a
wooded hill, the woman desperately stumbling along at the heels of the
man. On the hillside they came upon a deserted hut. Through the trees
they could see the sun sinking redly in the west.

"Oh, stop, Selwin--stop a little while!" entreated the fatigued woman.
"Let's rest here."

He halted and scowled as he stood in thought.

"They should be somewhere over to the northeast," he said. "I wonder if
I could see them from the top of the hill. I'll try it. Here, take the
brat, Bessie. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He tossed the bundle into her arms, whirled and rushed away up the hill.

The woman sat down on the trunk of a felled tree. She opened the bundle
and gazed sadly, almost lovingly, on the face of an infant. The little
eyes looked up at her, seemed to recognize her, and something like a
smile came to the child's face.

"Poor little Frank! poor little Frank!" she breathed. "It's a shame--a
brutal shame! Oh, why did I ever consent! Even though I have hated your
father, I love you! It's drink that's turned the brain of Selwin
Harris!"

The baby began to fret and cry.

"You're hungry, darling," muttered the woman. "Oh, what brutes we are!
What a wretched thing I am! I've always been bad, and I always will be.
Still, a noble man loves me. Oh, Berlin, Berlin, you will despise me
now! Even though you loved me through all the past and for all of the
past, you'll scorn and despise me now! Well, what does it matter? You
found me at last, and you forced the truth from my lips; but it was too
late--too late!"

Bitter tears of mingled sorrow and shame welled into her eyes and
blinded her. They fell from her cheeks upon the cheeks of the fretting
child.

"Oh, Frank--oh, little honey boy!" she sobbed. "I hope you may never
live t