r and lifted his hat,
"what time the Tennessee north-bound train leaves?"

"Twelve ten, miss," he answered, trying to read the suppressed mystery
of her features. "Do you need me in dar? Dat man look' dangerous ter me,
miss."

"Oh no." She shook her head and forced a smile. "But I want to ask--can
you take us to the station, and a small trunk also?"

"Yes'm."

"Hold on!" It was Whaley's voice, and he had risen. "Tell that nigger
to-- Let me speak to him. Do you think I came down here to--"

Tilly thrust her small person between him and the window. She laid two
opposing hands on his breast and checked him.

"I'm going to save you from murder-- I will, I will!" she said,
desperation filling her voice with power and causing his fierce stare to
flicker. "If you meet my husband you will shoot him and the blood of a
helpless, suffering, noble man will be on your head. You know what the
brand on Cain was. You will bear it till you meet God with it on your
brow. Do you think He'd forgive you? No, you'd have to burn for it in
eternal torment, and you know it. You know you thanked God for sparing
you before. Are you going to do even a worse thing now?"

He sank, half pushed down by her, into his chair. She saw the revolver,
now exposed by his gaping pocket, and had an impulse to take it, but
realized that the act would infuriate him anew. So she left it alone and
stood squarely in front of him.

"You are not going to damn your soul," she went on, firmly. "Jesus, your
Saviour and mine, forgave the guilty and you are refusing to pardon
_even the innocent_. You are going to take me home. You are going to sit
quietly there till I pack my trunk, and then we'll take the cab to the
train."

He groaned under a vast inrolling wave of indecision, and stared at her
like a helpless, thwarted child, and yet she knew that the flames
smoldering within him were apt to burst at any moment.

"I want to go home," she said. "I'm giving you this chance to take me in
a decent way. If you refuse, I don't know what I'll do, but you'd better
take me. For your sake and mine, you'd better do it. Now, I am being
driven to the wall, father, and down inside of me is your stubborn
nature when it is roused. You harm my husband, and see what I'll do.
I'll swear against you at the court of man. I'll appear against you on
the Day of Judgment."

He stared at her helplessly. His great mouth fell open and he groaned.
"I understand, and--and you may be r