college claims he robbed this girl
of her inheritance and sent her to me, telling me she was shallow-minded
and wholly given to a love of luxuries, that I might not see his plans;
while Norrie, never knowing, has proved over and over how false these
charges were. And at last, to still his noisy conscience, he would marry
her, willing or unwilling, to Vincent Burgess. But with all this, his
last hours were full of sorrowful confession. What do these Masters'
Degrees my brother bore avail a man if he have not the mastery within?
Meanwhile, my labors here must end."

Lonely and crushed, with his life work taken from him, he sat and faced
the sunset. Presently, he saw Elinor and Victor Burleigh strolling away
in the soft evening light. At the corner, Elinor turned and waved a
good-by to him. Then the memory of his own commencement day came back
to him, and of the happy night before. Oh, that night before! Can a man
ever forget! And now, tonight!

"Don Fonnybone," Bug Buler piped, as he came trudging around the corner.
"I want to confessing."

He came to Fenneben's side and looked up confidently in his face.

"Well, confessing. I've just finished doing that myself," Fenneben said.

"I did a bad, long ago. I want to go and confessing. Will you go with
me?"

"Where shall we go to be shriven, Bug?

"To Pigeon Place," Bug responded. "The Pigeon woman is there now. I saw
her coming, and I must go right away and confessing."

"I'll go with you, Bug. I want to see that woman, anyhow," Fenneben
said.

And the two went away in the early twilight of this rare June evening.

Out at Pigeon Place, when Dr. Fenneben and little Bug walked up the
grassy way to the vine-covered porch in the misty twilight, Mrs. Marian
sat in the shadow, unaware of their coming until they stood before her.

Lloyd Fenneben lifted his hat, and little Bug imitated him.

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Marian. This little boy wanted to tell you of
something that was troubling him. I think he trespassed on your property
unknowingly."

The gray-haired woman stood motionless in the shadow still. Her fair
face less haggard than of yore, as if some dread had left it, and only
loneliness remained.

"I was here, and you was away, and I peeked in the window. It was
rude and I never did see you to tell you, and I'm sorry and I won't
for--never do it again. Dennie told me to come tonight, and bring Don
Fonnybone." Bug had his part well in hand.

Even as she sm