lmann!" shouted Von Barwig in a loud
voice. "I cannot throw you from your house as you would me; but I can
empty it for you. Come! I want to introduce you to your friends." He
threw the door wide open. Stanton came forward as if to close it, but
Von Barwig waved him back. "Stay where you are," he cried. "I
introduce yon to your friends as you are. She shall choose between us.
Against your money and respectability I put my life. Your friends
shall choose; she shall choose; the young man she is to marry--he shall
choose." The old man was now almost incoherent. "I have her back! she
is mine, she is mine!" At this juncture Joles entered.

"Speak; tell him!" shouted Von Barwig. "If you don't, I do!"

"Call Miss Stanton," said Mr. Stanton.

"And her friends," commanded Von Barwig.

Stanton nodded acquiescence; and Joles left the room.

"You've ruined me; and you'll ruin her," said Stanton in despair.

"I get her back, I get her back!" repeated Von Barwig over and over
again. "She is mine."

"Very well! she is yours, then," replied Stanton in desperation.
"Yours with this disgraceful scandal over her head."

"I don't care! She is mine--I get her back," was all Von Barwig could
say.

"Yours with her engagement at an end, her heart broken! Yes, her heart
broken! Do you think they'll take her into that family, do you think
they will receive your daughter, the daughter of a----"

Von Barwig was now almost hysterical. "If they don't take her, I take
her! If they don't want her, I want her. She's mine, I'm going to
have her! I want my own flesh and blood. Do you hear, Ahlmann? I'm
tired of waiting, tired of starving for the love of my own. I'm
selfish, I'm selfish!" in his excitement the old man banged his
clenched fist several times on the table. "I'm selfish! I want her,
and by God I'm going to have her!" At this juncture Helene came into
the room. There was a dead silence. Von Barwig saw her and his
clenched fist dropped harmlessly by his side. He stood there silently
waiting. Helene looked at Mr. Stanton; his head was bowed low and he
uttered not a word. She looked inquiringly at Von Barwig. He seemed
incapable of speaking.

"Father," she said in a low, gentle voice. Neither man answered.
Stanton dared not, and Von Barwig steeled himself against telling her
the truth. Stanton's words had had their effect; Von Barwig was
unwilling to ruin the girl's chances for his own selfish inter