, well, the world
is getting better."

"What shall I do with this money, sir? You shouldn't have it lying around
loose with all these--"

"You may deposit it to my account in the Fifth Avenue Bank to-morrow. It
is of absolutely no use to me now. Put it in your pocket. It will be quite
safe with you, I dare say. You are all so inexcusably honest, confound
you. Sit down. I want to tell you what I've finally decided to do. These
surgeons say there is about one chance in a million for me, my boy. I've
decided to take it."

"Take it?" muttered Braden, knowing full well what was to come.

"I have given you the finest education, the finest training that any young
man ever had, Braden. You owe a great deal to me, I think you will admit.
Never mind now. Don't thank me. I would not trust my one chance to any of
these disinterested butchers. They would not care a rap whether I pulled
through or not. With you, it is different. I believe you would--"

"My God, grandfather, you are not going to ask me to--"

"Sit still! Yes, I am going to ask you to give me that one chance in a
million. If you fail, I shall not be here to complain. If you
succeed,--well, you will have performed a miracle. You--"

"But there is no possible chance,--not the slightest chance of success,"
cried Braden, the cold sweat running down his face. "I can tell you in
advance that it means death to--"

"Nevertheless, it is worth trying, isn't it, my boy?" said Templeton
Thorpe softly. "I demand it of you. You are my flesh and blood. You will
not let me lie here and suffer like this for weeks and months. It is your
duty to do what you can. It is your time to be merciful, my lad."

Braden's face was in his hands. His body was shaking as if in convulsions.
He could not look into the old man's eyes.

"Send for Bates and Bray to-morrow. Tell them that you have decided to
operate,--with my consent. They will understand. It must be done at once.
You will not fail me. You will do this for your poor old granddaddy who
has loved you well and who suffers to-day as no man in all this world has
ever suffered before. I am in agony. Nothing stops the pain. Everything
has failed. You _will_ do this for me, Braden?"

The young man raised his haggard face. Infinite pity had succeeded horror
in his eyes.

CHAPTER XIII

Simmy Dodge emerged from Sherry's at nine-thirty. He was leaving Mrs.
Fenwick's dinner-dance in response to an appeal from Anne Thorpe, who had