an
both Ted and Ruth. It was he who had been most bitter against Ruth.
Deane had always believed that if it had not been for Cyrus the rest of
them would not have hardened into their pain and humiliation like that.

Ted nodded. "I had written, and today, after you said what you did, I
wired. I had an answer tonight. He has to finish up a deal that will
take him a few days, but I am to keep him informed--I told him you said
it might be a couple of weeks--and he'll come the first minute he can."

There was a pause. Deane wanted to say: "And Ruth?" but that was a hard
thing to say to one of the Hollands.

But Ted himself mentioned her. "Tell you what I'm worrying about,
Deane," he blurted out, "and that's Ruth!"

Deane nodded appreciatively. He had always liked this young Ted, but
there was a new outgoing to him for this.

"Father asked for her this afternoon. I don't care whether he was just
right in his mind or not--it shows she's _on_ his mind. 'Hasn't Ruth
come in yet!' he asked, several times."

"You send for her, Ted," commanded the doctor. "You ought to. I'll back
you up if Cy's disagreeable."

"He'll be disagreeable all right," muttered the younger brother.

"Well, what about Harriett?" impatiently demanded Deane. "Doesn't she
see that Ruth ought to be here?" Harriett was Ruth's sister and the
eldest of the four children.

"Harriett would be all right," said Ted, "if it weren't for that bunch
of piety she's married to!"

Deane laughed. "Not keen for your brother-in-law, Ted?"

"Oh, I'll tell you, Deane," the boy burst out, "for a long time I
haven't felt just like the rest of the family have about Ruth. It was an
awful thing--I know that, but just the same it was pretty tough on
_Ruth_. I'll bet she's been up against it, good and plenty, and all
we've seemed to think about is the way it put us in bad. Not mother--Cy
never did really get mother, you know, but father would have softened if
it hadn't been for Cy's everlasting keeping him nagged up to the fact
that he'd been wronged! Even Harriett would have been human if it hadn't
been for Cy--and that upright husband she's got!"

The boy's face was flushed; he ran his hand back through his hair in an
agitated way; it was evident that his heart was hot with feeling about
it all. "I don't know whether you know, Deane," he said in a lowered
voice, "that mother's last words were for Ruth. They can't deny it, for
I was standing nearest her. 'Where's Ruth?' s