the old man said, "she would
have made things easier for you."

"About Barry's going away?"

"Yes."

"It seems silly for him to go, Dad. Surely there's something here for
him to do."

"Gordon thinks that the trip will bring out his manhood, make him less
of a boy."

"I don't think Gordon understands Barry."

"And you do, baby? I'm afraid you spoil him."

"Nobody could spoil Barry."

"Don't love him too much."

"As if I could."

"I'm not sure," the old man said, shrewdly, "that you don't. And no
man's worth it. Most of us are selfish pigs--we take all we can
get--and what we give is usually less than we ask in return."

But now she was smiling into the fire. "You gave mother all that you
had to give, Dad, and you made her happy."

"Yes, thank God," and now there were tears on the old cheeks; "for the
short time that I had her--I made her happy."

When Barry came, he found her curled up in her father's arms. Over her
head the General smiled at this boy who was some day to take her from
him.

But Barry did not smile. He greeted the General, and when Leila came
to him, tremulously self-conscious, he did not meet her eyes, but he
took her hand in his tightly, while he spoke to her father.

"You won't mind, General, if I carry Leila off to the other room. I've
a lot of things to say to her."

"Of course not. I was in love once myself, Barry."

They went into the other room. It was a long and formal parlor with
crystal chandeliers and rose-colored stuffed furniture and gilt-framed
mirrors. It had been furnished by the General's mother, and his little
wife had loved it and had kept it unchanged.

It was dimly lighted now, and Leila in her white dinner gown and Barry
tall and slender in his evening black were reflected by the long
mirrors mistily.

Barry took her in his arms, and kissed her. "My wife, my wife," he
said, again and again, "my wife."

At first she yielded gladly, meeting his rapture with her own. But
presently she became aware of a wildness in his manner, a broken note
in his whispers.

So she released herself, and stood back a little from him, and asked,
breathing quickly, "Barry, what has happened?"

"Everything. Since I left you this morning I've lost my place. I
found the envelope on my desk this morning--telling of my discharge.
They said that I'd been too often away without sufficient excuse, and
so they have dropped me from the rolls. And you see that what Gord