nk want her to marry some one
else?" I hated my pretended ignorance, but I must know just what he
knew. Know if Madeleine had told him of her engagement. "Who is it
she wants her to marry?"

"Harrie Thorne. If she knew what others knew of Harrie--" Tom bit
his lip. "I don't want to go into that, however. Not my business.
But if she was told she wouldn't believe. She don't want to believe.
She wants her daughter to marry what Harrie can give her. An honored
name which he has dishonored."

Tom took out his handkerchief and wiped his forehead, in his eyes
boyish incomprehension of incomprehensible things. "Men are wicked,
Miss Dandridge, but they wouldn't do what some women do. They've got
it in their hands to do a lot they don't do--women have--and if it
wasn't for some of them, for those we believe in, the world would go
smash in certain ways as far as men are concerned. What's the use of
keeping straight and living clean when plenty of women don't seem to
care, or certainly don't ask too much about a man if he's got money,
or anything else they want for their daughters? Mrs. Swink is
determined that Madeleine shall marry Harrie."

"But has Madeleine no will of her own? If she permits her mother to
dispose of her--"

"She's been disposed of since she was a baby, and resistance wears
thin after a while, I suppose." The tips of Tom's right shoe made a
small circle on the brick pavement, but presently he looked up at me.
"It's pretty queer for me to be telling things like this, but you
always did understand a fellow. I've often wished I could come and
see you. Madeleine and I were engaged once."

"Why aren't you engaged now? Tell me anything you want. What
happened?"

"Mother Swink happened!" Tom's words came jerkily. "She wouldn't
even let me talk to her; made a devil of a row, dragged Madeleine all
around Europe, wouldn't let her have a letter from me--sent them back
herself--and told Madeleine if she married me she would never speak
to me."

"That ought to have given you courage. Why didn't you marry
Madeleine?"

"I couldn't get hold of her. And, besides, she got so worked up that
she went all to pieces, and I--I wasn't patient enough, I guess.
When they came back I managed to see her once, but we both got mad
and said things we shouldn't, and she gave me up. I heard Harrie had
been giving her a rush in El Paso, and if Mrs. Swink can manage it
she'll have Madeleine engaged to him befor