his mouth and eyes, "that though I can give orders to very
many people, and be obeyed as a general is obeyed by his soldiers in war
times, I have no friend. Fear attracts this person to me, self-interest
attracts that person, but there's no one that's held to me by
friendship."

"You're only asking me to be your friend?"

"You will be as safe in my house as in the rooms of the Gerry Society."

"If you want me for a friend why did you call me _muck_ just now?"

"I don't want the others to know that we are friends. I want them to
think--what they always think."

"How do I know you trust me?"

"Lock the street door," he said; "you're younger than I. It's easier for
you to move about."

She locked the door and returned.

"Are you staying," he asked, "through curiosity or friendship?"

"Look here," she said, "it's neither, Can't you guess what ails me?"

"Tell me."

She took his strong, wicked face between her young hands, and bending
over kissed him on the forehead. Then she drew back, flaming.

The legless man was touched. "Why?" he asked.

"I don't know. It just came to me," she said. "God knows I didn't want
it to. I guess that's all"

Rose found it hard to control her jumping nerves. A curious thing had
happened to her. Having at last wormed her way into the master's
confidence, and brought a long piece of play-acting to a successful
conclusion, a certain candor and frankness which were natural to her
made the thought of divulging what she had already found out, and
whatever he might confide to her in the future, exceedingly repugnant.
And she acknowledged with a shiver of revolt that the creature's
fascination for her was not altogether a matter of make-believe. She was
going to find it very hard to keep a proper perspective and point of
view; to continue to regard him as just another "case" and all in the
day's work.

"In my house," he said, "you shall do as you please. You're a dear girl,
Rose,"

"I feel at home in your house," she said, "and happy."

A cloud gathered in Blizzard's face. "Happiness!" he exclaimed. "There
is no such thing--neither for you, nor for me. The world is a
torture-chamber, and remember, Rose, we are to be allies; we are to
have no secrets from each other."

She shrugged her shoulders. "That was what you said," she complained.
"But have you really shown me any confidence?"

He smiled as upon a wayward child. "You shall know everything that there
is to know--when the t