d daughter were charmed with your visit. They
are dear to me, but they do not understand. Pardon me, I am detaining
you."

For more than a week the Professor had drooped under anxiety, but now he
walked high of head. When he entered the dining-room his wife asked who
had called. He answered that it was some one who wanted directions to
Mrs. Stuvic's. Lying might at one time have been a luxury with him, but
now it was a necessity. She rarely expected the truth from him. It took
him longer to tell a lie, and he was fond of talking. And besides, a
failure is under no obligations to tell the truth.

"It took you quite a while to give him directions."

"Yes, it is a roundabout way."

"But you seem to have quite a knack for finding it yourself--to be
presented to remarkable women."

"My knack for finding remarkable women began in my earlier years."

"Indeed! And you have been keeping yourself well in practice ever
since."

"Constant rehearsal with a former discovery keeps me from growing
rusty."

"Well, I don't care, but there's one thing certain! When you come home
to-night you'll find that I have thrown that old sofa out into the back
yard."

"It's a dreadful thing, pa," said Miss Katherine. "It's a disgrace."

"I know it, but we shall have a new one pretty soon."

"I've heard that for years," said his wife. "Why don't you let that old
life insurance go? Gracious alive, it's nonsense to deny yourself
everything."

"It's worse than that," the girl spoke up; "it's almost a crime. We
don't want you to fret your life out for us. If we are to have anything
we want you to share it. You haven't seen anything but worry since you
took out the policy. Let it drop. The money you'd have to give for the
next payment would make us happy. We could get so many nice things with
it, and wouldn't feel ashamed every time a visitor comes into the house.
Do, pa." She put her hand on his arm and looked at him appealingly.

He shook his head. "A crime, you say. Then let us acknowledge it a
crime. But let us also acknowledge that it is not so dark a crime as it
is for a man to die and leave his family in distress. Look at Norwood;
look at Bracken. The neighbors had to contribute."

"But you aren't going to die yet a while," said his wife. "You are in
good health. Well, there's no two ways about it. I'm going to throw that
old sofa out into the yard. I've stood it as long as I can. It's the
first thing a stranger sees when he comes