th. What was to become of
that child if he failed her in her need?

Now Dickson was a practical man, and this view of the case brought him
into a world which he understood. "It's fair ridiculous," he
reflected. "Nobody there to take a grip of things. Just a wheen
Gorbals keelies and the lad Heritage. Not a business man among the
lot."

The alternatives, which hove before him like two great banks of cloud,
were altering their appearance. One was becoming faint and tenuous;
the other, solid as ever, was just a shade less black. He lifted his
eyes and saw in the near distance the corner of the road which led to
his home. "I must decide before I reach that corner," he told himself.

Then his mind became apathetic. He began to whistle dismally through
his teeth, watching the corner as it came nearer. The car stopped with
a jerk. "I'll go back," he said aloud, clambering down the steps. The
truth was he had decided five minutes before when he first saw Janet's
face.

He walked briskly to his house, entirely refusing to waste any more
energy on reflection. "This is a business proposition," he told
himself, "and I'm going to handle it as sich." Tibby was surprised to
see him and offered him tea in vain. "I'm just back for a few minutes.
Let's see the letters."

There was one from his wife. She proposed to stay another week at the
Neuk Hydropathic and suggested that he might join her and bring her
home. He sat down and wrote a long affectionate reply, declining, but
expressing his delight that she was soon returning. "That's very likely
the last time Mamma will hear from me," he reflected, but--oddly
enough--without any great fluttering of the heart.

Then he proceeded to be furiously busy. He sent out Tibby to buy
another knapsack and to order a cab and to cash a considerable cheque.
In the knapsack he packed a fresh change of clothing and the new safety
razor, but no books, for he was past the need of them. That done, he
drove to his solicitors.

"What like a firm are Glendonan and Speirs in Edinburgh?" he asked the
senior partner.

"Oh, very respectable. Very respectable indeed. Regular Edinburgh
W.S. Lot. Do a lot of factoring."

"I want you to telephone through to them and inquire about a place in
Carrick called Huntingtower, near the village of Dalquharter. I
understand it's to let, and I'm thinking of taking a lease of it."

The senior partner after some delay got through to Edinburgh, and w