ve put on his hat only to precipitate matters.

"Before you go," said Mr. Caruthers, grudgingly, "I want to say--I want
you to understand my position."

"Oh, that's all right," said Van Bibber, lightly, opening the door.

"No, it is not all right. One moment, please. I do not intend that
you shall go away from here with the idea that you have tried to do me
a service, and that I have been unable to appreciate it, and that you
are a much-abused and much-misunderstood young man. Since you have
done me the honor to make my affairs your business, I would prefer that
you should understand them fully. I do not care to have you discuss my
conduct at clubs and afternoon teas with young women until you--"

Van Bibber drew in his breath sharply, with a peculiar whistling sound,
and opened and shut his hands. "Oh, I wouldn't say that if I were
you," he said, simply.

"I beg your pardon," the older man said, quickly. "That was a mistake.
I was wrong. I beg your pardon. But you have tried me very sorely.
You have intruded upon a private trouble that you ought to know must be
very painful to me. But I believe you meant well. I know you to be a
gentleman, and I am willing to think you acted on impulse, and that you
will see to-morrow what a mistake you have made. It is not a thing I
talk about; I do not speak of it to my friends, and they are far too
considerate to speak of it to me. But you have put me on the
defensive. You have made me out more or less of a brute, and I don't
intend to be so far misunderstood. There are two sides to every story,
and there is something to be said about this, even for me."

He walked back to his place beside the mantel, and put his shoulders
against it, and faced Van Bibber, with his fingers twisted in the cord
around his waist.

"When I married," said Mr. Caruthers, "I did so against the wishes of
my people and the advice of all my friends. You know all about that.
God help us! who doesn't?" he added, bitterly. "It was very rich, rare
reading for you and for every one else who saw the daily papers, and we
gave them all they wanted of it. I took her out of that life and
married her because I believed she was as good a woman as any of those
who had never had to work for their living, and I was bound that my
friends and your friends should recognize her and respect her as my
wife had a right to be respected; and I took her abroad that I might
give all you sensitive, fine people a