g. I learned something though; and that was that it isn't the
fellow who makes a find who wins, but the chap who buys the prospect,
almost invariably. That was useful. Every Winter I landed in a big city
and went to school,--night school or mining school or commercial school.
Finally it dawned upon me that I was taking the long road to an end, that
the short cut was to be really ready to do a thing before making the
attempt. I decided to go to a university. That would take years, and
meantime I had to live. I could make a living in a little city easier
than a big one, so I came here.... You know the rest."

Elice Gleason sat up, her fingers locked over her knees.

"Yes, I know the rest; but--" She was silent.

"But you don't wholly understand," completed the other. "You don't, even
yet, do you, Elice?"

"No, not entirely, even yet."

"Why I can't forget when I wish or help being hard?"

"Yes, when you have such infinite possibilities now."

"Now," supplemented the man evenly, "when society at large couldn't pound
me down any longer or prevent my getting out of their power."

The girl did not answer.

Deliberately Roberts sat up; no longer listless or tolerantly
self-analytic, but very wide awake, very direct.

"I'll have to tell you a few more reasons, then; read between the lines a
bit. I never did this before to any one; never will again--to any one.
But I must make you understand what made me as I am. I must; you know
why. Tell me to stop when you wish, I'll obey gladly; but don't tell me
you don't understand.

"To begin again at the beginning. My parents abandoned me. Why? They were
starved to it, forced to it. Self-preservation is the first law. I don't
clear them, but I understand. They were starving and irresponsible. I
merely paid the price of relief, the price society at large demanded.

"At the first home I had afterward the man drank,--drank to forget that
he, too, was an under dog. Some one again must pay the price, and I paid
it. Now and then I'd succeed in selling a few papers, or do an errand,
and earn a few pennies. After the manner of all lesser animals I'd try to
hide with them; but he'd find me every time. He seemed to have a genius
for it. He'd whip me with whatever was handy; at first for trying to
hide, later, when I wouldn't cry, because I was stubborn. Finally, after
he'd got tired or satisfied, he'd steal my coppers and head for the
nearest bar. Once in January I remember a lady I m