"Don't you 'Now Ebenezer' me!" he snorted. "Young's making my lake
property a disorderly house. It's positively indecent! I won't stand it
any longer. I won't have those squatters there, and your brother can
make up his mind to that!"

Helen tried to interrupt but her husband waved her to silence.

"Mother Moll and Andy Bishop!" he mocked. "An old witch and a jail-bird!
Wouldn't it make a man tired?"

Helen leaned forward. An angry red spot burned on either cheek and her
eyes flashed. Her gentle temper didn't take fire easily, but even to her
endurance there were limits.

"You seem to forget, Mr. Waldstricker," she retorted sharply, "that your
men tore down the old woman's home and your money procured the perjury
that sent the dwarf to Auburn. It strikes me you'd better not throw
stones at Forrie."

Waldstricker jumped to his feet and rushed to his wife's side.

"What!" he roared. "You dare that to my face! Some more of Deforrest's
influence, I suppose. Nice family I married into, I must say."

Helen got up from her chair. The one thing that stirred her quickest was
an attack upon her brother.

"Ebenezer Waldstricker, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Forrie
minds his own business and you should mind yours." An hysterical sob
brought her to a pause, but she struggled on. "I don't know how I've
stood your temper so long. You must have lost your mind."

In view of the grievances he'd been nursing, his wife's sudden rebellion
seemed almost too unreasonable to be credited. She'd joined his enemies!
She was making common cause with her notorious brother and the
squatters! Very well, he'd use her the same as he would them.

"You think rather well of me, don't you Mrs. Waldstricker?" he rasped.
"Nice names you call me. Brute! Home destroyer! Procurer of perjury!
Liar! Crazy!" His voice grew louder as he hurled the epithets at her and
broke into a shriek upon the last one. "Get out of here before I teach
you the same lesson I taught Tess Skinner!" He lifted his arm above his
head; the great fist was clenched, and the cruel mouth was drawn at both
corners. "Get out of here before I hit you!"

Helen stood petrified. The blow had fallen. Mother Moll was right! She
retreated before his menacing gestures, but stopped near the door and
held up her hand in entreaty. She'd make one more effort.

"But, Ebenezer," she began, "where shall I go?"

Advancing toward her, he fairly shouted:

"I don't know and I don't ca