do
this kindness for me? No, not for me,--a man who has not the
slightest claim upon you and who would not deserve it if he
had,--but for the sake of his angel mother, for the sake of
the poor little kid himself, perhaps you will not refuse.

Chris does not know where I am, and he must not be
told,--_he must never know_. When my two years are up, we
will go somewhere and begin life all over again. I have had
enough of this infernal business, and am going to live
straight as soon as I get another chance. In the six years I
have been at it I have been lucky, many times slipping out
of the very teeth of the law, until they called me "Slippery
'Chard." I thought I was smart enough to elude anybody; but
this last job was my undoing. My partner was too fond of
talk and whiskey--he gave us away easy, and we're both out
of it for these two years. I ought to have known better than
to take him on.

It cut me up to have to lie to your little girl when she
recognized me at Midvale--I guess I deserve all that's
coming to me! I'm sorry about that pin Chris gave to Polly.
The other fellow went through those rooms, and, of course,
took the pansy with the rest. I knew it soon as I spied it,
and was going to send it back to her; but they didn't give
me time enough, and now it is gone. Perhaps you will think
it is just as well, for it was swiped to start with. Buy her
another, something pretty, and I'll foot the bill. You
needn't be afraid of the money--it is as honest as yours. It
was left the boy by his mother, and I have never touched it,
so there's quite a neat little sum now. Charge me whatever
you please for the kid's board. I'm willing to leave it to
you, and I will see that you are paid promptly every month.
If you'll only take care of him, and bring him up right, and
not let him know that his father is a criminal, I will
bless you to my last breath--as if my blessing could be
worth anything to such a man as you! Well, the best it is
you shall have it, and that is all I can do. If it hadn't
been for Chris and his faith in me I should have gone to
hell long ago--I've been down to the gates, as it was. It
isn't the fault of my rearing,--my folks were all right,
they trained me, they educated me, they loved me. I am the
first to sul