demurely.

"Still, you'd not have to meet SOCIALLY queer and rough characters----"

"Is Victor Dorn very rough?"

The interrupting question was like the bite of a big fly to a sweating
horse. "I'm getting sick of hearing about him from you," cried Hull
with the pettishness of the spoiled children of the upper class.

"In what way is he rough?" persisted Miss Hastings. "If you didn't
wish to talk about Victor Dorn, why did you bring the subject up?"

"Oh--all right," cried Hull, restraining himself. "Victor isn't
exactly rough. He can act like a gentleman--when he happens to want
to. But you never can tell what he'll do next."

"You MUST bring him to call!" exclaimed Miss Hastings.

"Impossible," said Hull angrily.

"But he's the only man I've heard about since I've been home that I've
taken the least interest in."

"If he did come, your father would have the servants throw him off the
place."

"Oh, no," said Hiss Hastings haughtily. "My father wouldn't insult a
guest of mine."

"But you don't know, Jen," cried David. "Why, Victor Dorn attacks your
father in the most outrageous way in his miserable little anarchist
paper--calls him a thief, a briber, a blood-sucker--a--I'd not venture
to repeat to you the things he says."

"No doubt he got a false impression of father because of that damage
suit," said Miss Hastings mildly. "That was a frightful thing. I
can't be so unjust as to blame him, Davy--can you?"

Hull was silent.

"And I guess father does have to do a lot of things in the course of
business---- Don't all the big men--the leaders?"

"Yes--unfortunately they do," said Hull. "That's what gives
plausibility to the shrieks of demagogues like Victor Dorn--though
Victor is too well educated not to know better than to stir up the
ignorant classes."

"I wonder why he does it," said Miss Hastings, reflectively. "I must
ask him. I want to hear what he says to excuse himself." In fact, she
had not the faintest interest in the views of this queer unknown; her
chief reason for saying she had was to enjoy David Hull's jealousy.

"Before you try to meet Victor," said Hull, in a constrained, desperate
way, "please speak to your father about it."

"I certainly shall," replied the girl. "As soon as he comes home this
afternoon, I'm going to talk to him about that damage suit. That has
got to be straightened out." An expression of resolution, of
gentleness and justice abruptly transformed he