before what
a genuine grievance it was. The moisture at the top of his nose merged
itself into tears in the corners of his eyes, as the cruel enormity of
the sacrifice he had made in his youth rose before him. His whole life
had been fettered and darkened by it. He turned his gaze from the swings
toward Celia, to claim the sympathy he knew she would feel for him.

But Celia was otherwise engaged. A young man had come up to her--a tall
and extremely thin young man, soberly dressed, and with a long, gaunt,
hollow-eyed face, the skin of which seemed at once florid and pale. He
had sandy hair and the rough hands of a workman; but he was speaking to
Miss Madden in the confidential tones of an equal.

"I can do nothing at all with him," this newcomer said to her. "He'll
not be said by me. Perhaps he'd listen to you!"

"It's likely I'll go down there!" said Celia. "He may do what he likes
for all me! Take my advice, Michael, and just go your way, and leave
him to himself. There was a time when I would have taken out my eyes
for him, but it was love wasted and thrown away. After the warnings he's
had, if he WILL bring trouble on himself, let's make it no affair of
ours."

Theron had found himself exchanging glances of inquiry with this young
man. "Mr. Ware," said Celia, here, "let me introduce you to my brother
Michael--my full brother."

Mr. Ware remembered him now, and began, in response to the other's
formal bow, to say something about their having met in the dark, inside
the church. But Celia held up her hand. "I'm afraid, Mr. Ware," she said
hurriedly, "that you are in for a glimpse of the family skeleton. I will
apologize for the infliction in advance."

Wonderingly, Theron followed her look, and saw another young man who
had come up the path from the crowd below, and was close upon them. The
minister recognized in him a figure which had seemed to be the centre of
almost every group about the bar that he had studied in detail. He was
a small, dapper, elegantly attired youth, with dark hair, and the
handsome, regularly carved face of an actor. He advanced with a smiling
countenance and unsteady step--his silk hat thrust back upon his head,
his frock-coat and vest unbuttoned, and his neckwear disarranged--and
saluted the company with amiability.

"I saw you up here, Father Forbes," he said, with a thickened and
erratic utterance. "Whyn't you come down and join us? I'm setting 'em up
for everybody. You got to take ca