o come
in times of trouble, Dolph bolted down the Brenton doorsteps on his
tiptoes, and dashed away in search of Doctor Keltridge.

The pause which followed his departure, as a matter of course, had no
connection with it. Rather, it was of two-fold purpose. Katharine
needed time to catch her breath; Brenton needed time to rally his mind
to meet the sudden strain. In the end, it was Brenton who spoke.

"Then, Katharine, what is it your plan to do?"

"My plan!" her voice bespoke her scorn. "At least, then, you are
beginning to consider me a little."

"I always have meant to consider you, Katharine."

"When? In what way?" But she waited for no answer, except the one which
she herself was ready to give. "None. You lived your life. You went
your way. You gave me the crumbs of your time, of your mind. My share
in your life came out of what your other friends left over. Did you
consult me, when you turned into an Episcopalian? No! Did you consult
me, when you threw it all aside, all your pretty broken toy that, once
on a time, you had called religion, and went to teaching chemistry to a
pack of girls? No! A thousand times, no! You made your life the way you
wanted it. You say it was your right to do so. Then, in the same way, I
claim it is my right, in searching for the truth, to make my life over
into anything I choose."

"But, if your choice is not a wise one?"

She turned upon him fiercely.

"Who are you to judge? And is your own choice so wise? Your own
choices, rather, for, if I remember clearly, there have been a number
of them. And what good have they done to any man?"

"Too little good, Katharine," Brenton assented humbly. "At least,
though, they have done no harm."

"How do you know that?" she taunted him defiantly. "How is any man to
know the harm he can do by a wrong belief? No; I don't mean the harm
you may have done to yourself. That is superficial. You can cure it
easily; there are dozens of mental plasters that you can apply." Her
voice grew yet more scornful on the phrase. "But what about the harm to
other people? What about the harm to me from all your theological
shilly-shally? The only wonder of it all is that I was given the
strength to come out of it and into something better. And now--"

Brenton stayed her torrent of words by the very quiet of his brief
question.

"Now, Katharine?"

"Now I demand my right to go out and make what I can of the little you
have left me of my life."

"In wha