once."

"What made you think that?" she asked softly.

"Oh, our friendly relations, and all that," he replied more easily.

"Aren't you taking a great deal for granted, Mr. Wentz?"

The timbre of her voice--the deadly coldness of it--made him start. He
had the sensation of an icicle being drawn slowly the length of his
back.

"Why, I--I don't know," he stammered. "Am I?"

"Do you recall any reason, as you look back, why I should grant this
favor that you ask?"

Mr. Wentz distinctly squirmed.

"N-no."

"Quite the contrary, if you'll recollect."

"I hope," with a deprecatory gesture of his white hand, "you are not
laying that up against us, Miss Prentice? Surely you can understand that
a bank must protect itself."

Kate's eyes which had been violet were gray now.

"But not to the extent that you did when you tried to put the screws on
me for Neifkins' benefit. With every means at your command you
endeavored to take advantage of my necessity. And yet"--she gripped the
fat arms of the leather chair as she threw off her mask of impassivity
and cried in a voice that was hoarse with the emotion with which she
shook--"that's not the real reason that I'm going to close your doors,
that I'm going to wreck you and your bank and give the finishing blow to
this already bankrupt town! It's for a woman's reason that I am going to
take my revenge.

"You weren't content to make a pauper of me. No, you couldn't be
satisfied with that, but you must hurt my woman's pride--you must cut me
to the quick with your studied insolence, the disrespect of your eyes,
your manner, your tone, your speech, every time that business brought me
here!

"You couldn't resist the temptation to hit me when I was down. It was so
easy, and there was so little chance of being hit back. Besides, it gave
you an agreeable feeling of importance, after having been so long
ignored or patronized yourself. That's why, Mr. Wentz," the words
sounded sibilant through her shut teeth, "you're going to honor my check
to-day--_now_--or suspend."

Wentz listened dumbfounded. The slight question which once had been in
his mind as to whether or not she harbored resentment had long since
been removed by her continued patronage and her even courtesy. He never
had dreamed of such a vindictive, deep-rooted animosity as this.

When he could speak he half started from his chair and cried sharply:

"Miss Prentice! Kate! You won't do that!"

"Won't I?" Her short l