ou consider her as
mercenary as that?"

"When the son has forfeited his right to life--"

"Who are you to take upon yourself the judicial ermine, Hamlen?"
Huntington said sternly. "You have years before you yet to devote to her
welfare. If you are a man, fulfil your obligations during your natural
lifetime, and then supplement your labors by the princely gift you have
in mind. If you will insist on assuming all the blame for this
regrettable affair, don't let it make you shirk your duty, but go at
life again with an added incentive to pay your debt."

"You demand of me what is beyond my strength. I can't go on."

"That is cowardice, Hamlen.--Forgive the word," he added quickly as he
saw the color mount to his friend's cheeks, "forgive the cruelty; but I
must make you see yourself."

"It takes some courage to carry through what I have in mind," he
protested.

"Not the slightest in the world," Huntington contradicted. "Just pull a
wretched little trigger, pump half an ounce of lead into your diseased
brain, and you think your troubles are over. I know the pleasures of
this world, my friend, but I am entirely ignorant of those of the next.
Let us take our chances on these when our time comes, not before. No,
Hamlen, the easy thing is to side-step our difficulties here; it is the
hard thing to stand up in our boots and say, 'Yes, I've broken your
laws, I've outraged your sensibilities; but I'm going to atone for what
I've done.' You have that strength, Hamlen, and I sha'n't let you pass
it up."

"I'm sorry I waited for you!" Hamlen retorted sullenly.

"No, you're not; for you are an honest man." It was hard for Huntington
to be brutal, but this was the moment when Hamlen must be forced to
yield if at all. "You said a moment ago that I gave you back the life
you had abandoned; then that life belongs to me. If you destroy it, you
rob me of something which is mine, and that is theft. I don't care
whether you agree with me or not, but I demand of you my property, on
which you gave up your claim. If I leave it in your hands will you
protect it for me, and deliver it to me when I am ready to make use of
it?"

This was a new idea to Hamlen, and he could not meet it. He was only
conscious that Huntington was taking full advantage of his influence
over him, and was driving him on relentlessly. He shifted his eyes
uncomfortably, and in them was bitter resentment.

"You leave me no alternative," he said helplessly. "For G