ent known to
modern science, but fear it cannot prove very efficacious. That's
about all I can tell you in general terms, gentlemen."

"It is worse than I feared," said Thomas Savine, leaning forward in his
chair, with his elbows on the table, and his chin in his hands. Before
the two doctors withdrew, the Canadian said:

"He is anxious to see Mr. Thurston, and in an hour or so it could do no
harm. I will rejoin you shortly, Mr. Savine."

The door closed behind them, and Thomas Savine looked straight at
Thurston as he observed: "I know little about his business, but shall
have to look into it for his daughter's sake. You will help me?"

"Yes," replied Geoffrey. "It seems out of place now, but I cannot
honestly co-operate with you without mentioning a conditional promise
your brother made to me. Perhaps you can guess it."

"I can," said Savine, stretching out his hand. "I won't say that I
hadn't thought Helen might have chosen among the highest in the
Dominion just because it wouldn't be true, but you'll have my good
wishes if you will see my poor brother through his immediate
difficulties at least. You had Mrs. Savine's approval long ago."
After a pause, he added, "There is one part of Julius's trouble Helen
must never know."

The two men's fingers met in a grip that was more eloquent than many
protestations, and Geoffrey went out into the moaning wind and,
bareheaded, paced to and fro until he was summoned to the sick man's
room. The few days that had passed since he had seen his employer had
set their mark upon Savine. The sick man lay in his plainly-furnished
room. With bloodless lips, drawn face, and curiously-glazed eyes, he
was strangely different from his usual self, but he looked up with an
attempt at his characteristic smile as Geoffrey approached. At a
signal, the nurse slipped away.

"I asked them to tell you, so you might know the kind of man I am,"
said Savine. "You have got to exercise that partnership option one way
or another right now. It is not too late to back out, and I wouldn't
blame you."

"I should blame myself to my last day if I did, sir," answered
Geoffrey, trying to hide the shock he felt, and Savine beckoned him
nearer.

"It's a big thing you are going into, but you'll do it with both eyes
wide open," he declared. "For the past few years Julius Savine has
been a shadow, and an empty name, and his affairs are mixed
considerably. Reckless contracts taken with a muddl