gave him but a quick glance,
sufficient enough to convey to her that he had failed for the hundredth
time. On the third night, instead of handing him his meal from the stove
she sat down and burst into passionate sobs.

Instinctively he put out his hand to clasp her trembling fingers. She
pushed it away fiercely and stood up, shaking with emotion.

"You've got to let me go!" she cried.

"When the spring comes."

"No, now. I can't wait until the spring. This is killing me--killing me.
Can't you see that it will be too late then?"

"Angela, we came for a set purpose. If I fail when the spring comes,
we'll go back to the life you want."

"I'm going now," she said grimly. "To-night!"

His mouth tightened.

"Be reasonable!"

"Reasonable! You talk of reason--you who brought me here to live like a
dog, to treat as a dog----"

He sighed as he remembered her aversion to any attempted acts of kindness
on his part. In every instance she had made it clear that she wanted
nothing from him--that she refused kindnesses, sacrifices, on her behalf.

"I ain't treated you in any way different to that in which a husband would
treat his wife."

"Wife--you call me that?"

"What do you call it, then?"

"Prisoner--slave!"

His face hardened.

"And if I did, ain't there some justification? If our deal had been a love
deal I guess the arrangement would have been canceled long ago. But it
wasn't. It was commercial transaction to which you gave your approval. It
may be morally wrong to keep you, but the whole darned frame-up was
morally wrong. So morals don't come into it--savvy? Legally I got a claim
to my--goods, and you're asking me to forgo that claim. But you don't show
much regret at taking a hand in that dirty business----"

"I told you I was sorry."

"Yep--sorry, because it's hurting _you_."

She knew this was true, and the fact that he knew it too stung her. She
sunk her head in her hands and remained for some time in silence. When she
raised it again her face was full of a new determination.

"You are only bringing pain upon yourself," she said tensely.

"I can bear it."

"Can you?--I wanted to spare you--but you are forcing me to this--forcing
me to tell you something that is going to hurt you."

The tragic tone of her voice caused him to stand as though petrified.

"I said I should go now--to-night; and I am going."

"So!" he stammered, feeling an awful pang of fear at his heart.

"You have hitherto co