and burn it in the
moonlight, a thinkin' of you and Sammy. Well, I must be movin'.
Good-bye, all han's, and ricollect that my latch-string hangs on the
outside."

They shook hands affectionately, and then sat in silence, listening to
his footsteps as he trod slowly down the stairs.

"Why don't you light your cigar?" Warren asked.

"I don't care to smoke just now," Lyman answered. "I have some
business on the other side of the square."

CHAPTER XXXII.

LAUGHED AT HIS WEAKNESS.

Lyman walked slowly across the public square. The lawyers, the clerks,
the tradesmen, who had become acquainted with his habits were wont to
say, as they saw him strolling about, "There he goes, blind as a bat,
with a story in his head." And they commented upon him now, but they
could see that he was not in a dreaming mood, for his head was high
and his heels fell hard upon the ground. At the edge of the sidewalk
he halted for a moment, and his eye ran along the signs over the
doors. Then he stepped up to an open door and entered without pausing
at the threshold. Caruthers was sitting with his face toward the door.
He flushed as Lyman entered, took his feet off the corner of the table
and straightened himself back in his chair. Lyman stepped up to the
table and without a word, stood there looking at him.

"Well, you have come at last," said Caruthers, "I have been sitting
here day after day, waiting for you."

"You expected me," said Lyman.

"Yes, as I say I have been waiting for you day after day. But where is
the constable? You didn't bring him along."

Lyman took out the note. "The fog that settled between us," said he.

Caruthers nodded.

"I would have come sooner," said Lyman, "but the fog was not defined
until a few moments ago."

"And I suppose your plan is to send me to the penitentiary. Tell me
what you intend to do--don't stand there looking at me that way. Give
a man a chance to defend his honor."

"Honor," Lyman repeated, with a cold smile. "You haven't as much honor
as a hyena."

"Well, then, let me say name."

"You can say name. A snake has a name. And you want a chance to defend
yours."

"Mr. Lyman, I really have no defense--I'm done up. I needed money and
I put your name to that note, and if you want to disgrace my family,
why you can send me to the penitentiary. I have suffered over it, day
and night, and I am going to make the amount good if I live long
enough. You can take everything I've got in