ed for a moment, and then turned again upon the librarian.
"You mean to tell me that you think she's entirely good and honest and
all that, do you?"

"No. I told you I knew she was."

"Well, then, what does it mean that Forrest is trying to hunt up or run
down my witnesses?"

"It simply means that he's a gentleman who intends to defend the girl
whose name you have coupled with his."

"Why don't he come to me? He hasn't been near my house since he came
back," said Allison, in a tone of complaint. "He hasn't given me a
chance to--fix things. Who was fool enough to tell him?"

"You, principally, by your reception of him. He knew all about it before
he came here to me. Of course he hasn't been to your house, and probably
never will go there again. I wouldn't in his place."

Allison pondered painfully awhile. "Well, I suppose this thing is
beginning to get around the neighborhood?--people are talking about it?"
he queried guardedly.

"Beginning?" was the answer. "Lord, no! It began the day you shouted the
whole business so that everybody in the library could hear. Of course
people are talking, but not as loud as you did."

"And you say she's down sick and can't see people. Of course if I've
been--made a victim of in this matter by that fellow Elmendorf--why,
damn him, he's been trying to make up to my own daughter! she had to
order him out of the house,--of course I want to straighten things out.
I withdraw my demand for her discharge, under the circumstances; and if
I might send her a check--or something, in reason----"

"You might, if you wanted to see how quick it would come back."

"Why, hang it, Wells, what _should_ a man do? What can a man do?"

"Sit down and write her that you have made a consummate ass of yourself.
That might not be a delicate way out of it, but it would be telling the
truth. Anyhow, you've got to do something, and that right soon. My wife
tells me that her one idea is to get well enough to come over here for
one day, just to confront her accusers. Then where'll you be, and your
invaluable witnesses?"

Allison went home and had a conference with his sister which left that
lady dissolved in tears. It was a brutally hot July afternoon, and he
ordered the carriage for a drive in the Park and bade Florence drive
with him, and obediently she went. There wasn't a whiff of breeze off
the lake; it all came pouring from the hot prairies to the southwest,
and everybody looked languid and depresse