and escaped in-doors, where his
daughter-in-law appeared from the obscurity into which she had retired
from Bittridge. "Well, that follow does beat all! How, in the world did
he find you, father?"

"He came into the house," said the judge, much abashed at his failure to
deal adequately with Bittridge. He felt it the more in the presence of
his son's wife. "I couldn't, seem to get rid of him in any way short of
kicking him out."

"No, there's nothing equal to his impudence. I do believe he would have
come in here, if he hadn't seen me first. Did you tell him when you were
going back, father? Because he'd be at the train to see you off, just as
sure!"

"No, I didn't tell him," said Kenton, feeling move shaken now from the
interview with Bittridge than he had realized before. He was ashamed to
let Mary know that he had listened to Bittridge's justification, which
he now perceived was none, and he would have liked to pretend that he
had not silently condoned his offences, but Mary did not drive him to
these deceptions by any further allusions to Bittridge.

"Well, now, you must go into the sitting-room and lie down on the
lounge; I promised Dick to make you. Or would you rather go up-stairs to
your room?"

"I think I'll go to my room," said Kenton.

He was asleep there on the bed when Richard came home to dinner and
looked softly in. He decided not to wake him, and Mary said the sleep
would do him more good than the dinner. At table they talked him over,
and she told her husband what she knew of the morning's adventure.

"That was pretty tough for father," said Richard. "I wouldn't go into
the house with him, because I knew he wanted to have it to himself; and
then to think of that dirty hound skulking in! Well, perhaps it's for
the best. It will make it easier, for father to go and leave the place,
and they've got to go. They've got to put the Atlantic Ocean between
Ellen and that fellow."

"It does seem as if something might be done," his wife rebelled.

"They've done the best that could be done," said Richard. "And if
that skunk hasn't got some sort of new hold upon father, I shall be
satisfied. The worst of it is that it will be all over town in an hour
that Bittridge has made up with us. I don't blame father; he couldn't
help it; he never could be rude to anybody."

"I think I'll try if I can't be rude to Mr. Bittridge, if he ever
undertakes to show in my pretence that he has made it up with us," said
Mar