antly held out his hand.

"If I thought you would marry that girl unknown to me, I'd have
Rossmore sent out of the country and the woman too. Listen, boy.
This man is my enemy, and I show no mercy to my enemies. There are
more reasons than one why you cannot marry Miss Rossmore. If she
knew one of them she would not marry you."

"What reasons?" demanded Jefferson.

"The principal one," said Ryder, slowly and deliberately, and
eyeing his son keenly as if to judge of the effect of his words,
"the principal one is that it was through my agents that the
demand was made for her father's impeachment."

"Ah," cried Jefferson, "then I guessed aright! Oh, father, how
could you have done that? If you only knew him!"

Ryder, Sr., had regained command of his temper, and now spoke
calmly enough.

"Jefferson, I don't have to make any apologies to you for the way
I conduct my business. The facts contained in the charge were
brought to my attention. I did not see why I should spare him. He
never spared me. I shall not interfere, and the probabilities are
that he will be impeached. Senator Roberts said this afternoon
that it was a certainty. You see yourself how impossible a
marriage with Miss Rossmore would be, don't you?"

"Yes, father, I see now. I have nothing more to say."

"Do you still intend going away?"

"Yes," replied Jefferson bitterly. "Why not? You have taken away
the only reason why I should stay."

"Think it well over, lad. Marry Kate or not, as you please, but I
want you to stay here."

"It's no use. My mind is made up," answered Jefferson decisively.

The telephone rang, and Jefferson got up to go. Mr. Ryder took up
the receiver.

"Hallo! What's that? Sergeant Ellison? Yes, send him up."

Putting the telephone down, Ryder, Sr., rose, and crossing the
room accompanied his son to the door.

"Think it well over, Jeff. Don't be hasty."

"I have thought it over, sir, and I have decided to go."

A few moments later Jefferson left the house.

Ryder, Sr., went back to his desk and sat for a moment in deep
thought. For the first time in his life he was face to face with
defeat; for the first time he had encountered a will as strong as
his own. He who could rule parliaments and dictate to governments
now found himself powerless to rule his own son. At all costs, he
mused, the boy's infatuation for Judge Rossmore's daughter must be
checked, even if he had to blacken the girl's character as well as
the fath