She called it a sign to every rat to hunt his hole. She joked at Milford
as he passed her, going out. Even her blunt eye saw that he was
enthralled. "Not so loud," he said. "Those people might hear you."

"I'd better flag you down," she replied, swinging the red lantern before
his face.

Milford and the Professor walked off together along the road running
through the grove. "Professor, you seemed to be happy to-night."

"My dear fellow, I am the most miserable man alive--just at this time."

"What's the trouble?"

"Life insurance. It will be due on the ninth of this present month,
three days from now, ninety-seven dollars and forty cents, and how I am
to raise it the Lord only knows. I have been carrying it for seven
years, a galling burden, shifted from shoulder to shoulder, with but a
moment of relief between the shifts. Many a time as the day approached
have I wished that the lightning might strike me. And I pledge you my
word that I would rather die any sort of death than to have it lapse.
It has been a hard fight, a fight that my wife and daughter, as
intelligent as they are, could not fully understand. They argue
sometimes that the money thus invested would make them comfortable, with
better clothes and more furniture in the house. They cannot comprehend
that I am making this great sacrifice for a rainy day, a day when I
shall be out in the rain and they in a better house."

"Well, I want to tell you that it's noble in you."

"No, I don't look at it that way. It is a self-defense, an easing of my
conscience for not providing better for them. But I must manage to raise
it somehow, and I have an idea. I have been sounding Mrs. Goodwin. She
has faith in my ability. I am going to write something and upon it
borrow enough money from her to pay my installment. Her husband can send
the paper to a medical review with his name signed to it. Some sanitary
measures that I have long pondered shall be set forth. Result, notoriety
for the doctor and his wife and a moment of ease between the shifts for
me. Would you resort to anything like that?"

"Would I? Well, I should think so. Do you know what I'd do? If I
had--had some one dependent upon me and had my life insured, I'd go out
on the highway and hold up a chosen servant of the Lord before I'd let
it lapse."

"My dear boy, I am delighted to know that you understand how I feel. I
don't want to be a rascal; I would like to be honest. But I tell you
that I have resor