head with an air of nonchalance that he did not
feel. He knew that Thatcher meant to drive Bassett out of politics, but
he had little faith in Thatcher's ability to do so. He discredited
wholly the story Allen had so glibly recited. By Allen's own admission
the tale was deficient in what Harwood's lawyer's instinct told him were
essentials. The idea that Bassett could ever have been so stupid as to
leave traces of any imaginable iniquities plain enough for Thatcher to
find them after many years was preposterous. The spectacle of the pot
calling the kettle black, never edifying, aroused Dan's ire against
Thatcher. And Bassett was not that sort; his old liking for the man
stirred to life again. Even the Rose Farrell incident did not support
this wretched tissue of fabrication. He had hated Bassett for that; but
it was not for the peccable Thatcher to point a mocking finger at
Achilles's heel.

"Well," said Allen impatiently.

"Well," Dan blurted contemptuously, "I think your father's stooped
pretty low, that's all. You can tell him for me that if he's digging in
the muck-pile for that sort of thing, I'm done with him; I'm not only
done with him, but if he attempts to use any such stuff as that, I'll
fight him; I will raise a war on him that won't be forgotten in this
state through all eternity. You tell him that; tell him you told me your
story and that's what I said about it."

"But, Dan, old man--" began Allen pleadingly.

Harwood shook his head until his cowlick bobbed and danced.

"You'd better get out of here, Allen. If you think you can marry Morton
Bassett's daughter with that kind of a scandal in your pocket, I tell
you you're mad--you've plumb gone insane! Great God, boy, you don't know
the meaning of the words you use. You handle that thing like a child
with a loaded pistol. Don't you see what that would mean--to Marian, to
Blackford, to Mrs. Bassett--to Aunt Sally! Now, you want my advice, or
you said you did, and I'm going to give you some. You go right down to
that bank over there on the corner and buy a steamer ticket and a long
letter of credit. Then take the first train for New York and go back to
your mother and stay there till I send for you to come home. I mean
that--every word of it. If you don't skip I'm damned if I don't go to
Bassett and tell him this whole rotten story."

Allen, the tears glistening in his frightened eyes, turned toward the
door.

"Good-bye, Dan, old man; I'm sorry it had t