; and the European business settled it."

Caleb drew a long breath. "Reckon it's everlastin'ly too late now, do
ye, Tom?"

The young man's smile was wintry.

"You said the wedding-day was set, didn't you?"

"Why, yes; _toe_ be sure. Leastwise, your mammy talked like it was. But,
lawzee, son! the Gordon stock don't lie down in the harness. Ardee
thinks a heap o' you, and if you could jest've made out to keep from
gettin' so everlastin'ly tangled with that gal o' Tike--" he stopped
abruptly, but not quite soon enough, and the word was as the flick of a
whip on a wound already made raw by the abrasion of the closed doors.

"So that miserable story has got around to you at last, has it?" said
Tom, in fine scorn. "I did hope they'd spare you and mother."

"She's spared yet, so far as I know," said the father, with a backward
nod to indicate the antecedent of the pronoun. Following which, he said
what lay uppermost in his mind. "I been allowin' maybe you'd come back
this time with your head sot on lettin' that gal alone, son."

Thomas Jefferson was on his feet and a hot anger wave was sweeping him
back over the years to other times when things used to turn red under
the rage blast. But he got some sort of grip on himself before the words
came.

"You've believed all you've heard, have you?--condemned me before I
could say a word in my own defense? That's what they've all done."

"I don't say that, son." Then, with a note of fatherly yearning in his
voice: "I'm waitin' to hear that word right now, Buddy--or as much of it
as ye can say honestly."

"You'll never hear it from me--never in this world or another. Now tell
me who told you!"

"Why, it's in mighty near ever'body's mouth, son!" said Caleb, in mild
surprise. "You certain'y didn't take any pains to cover it up."

"Didn't take any pains? Why, in the name of God, should I?" Tom burst
out. After which he tramped heavily to the farther end of the veranda,
refilled and lighted his pipe, and smoked furiously for a time, glooming
over at the darkened windows of Deer Trace and letting bitter anger and
disappointment work their will on him. And when he finally turned and
tramped back it was only to say an abrupt "Good night," and to pass into
the house and up to his room.

He thought he was alone in the moon-lighted dusk of the upper chamber
when he closed the door and began to pace a rageful sentry-beat back and
forth between the windows. But all unknown to him one