hat over, every
cent of it."

"But, Mr. Drake," said Bojo hastily, "surely there is no reason why you
should feel that way. Others have met misfortune--been forced into
bankruptcy. Every one will know that it could not be helped, that
conditions were against you, that you were forced into it."

"And every one," he said quickly, speaking without reserve for the first
time, "will say that Dan Drake knew how to fail at the right time and in
the right way." He gave a wave of his hand as though to indicate the
great house of which he was thinking, and added bitterly: "What will
they think of this, when this goes on? They'll think just one
thing--that I worked a crooked, double-crossing game and salted away my
fortune behind a petticoat! By God, that's what hurts!" He brought down
his fist with an outburst of anger such as they had never seen in him
before and sprang up trembling and heavy. "No, by Heavens, if I fail she
can't go on with her millions." The rage that possessed him made him
seemingly oblivious to their presence. "Oh, what a fool, a blind,
contemptible fool I've been! If she is worth a cent she is worth four
millions to-day, and every cent I made for her, I gave to her. Talk
about business heads, there is not a one of us can touch her. Oh, she's
known all right what she has been doing all these years. She took no
chances. She knew when to work me and how to work me. Clever? Yes, she's
clever and as cold as they make 'em. Under all her pretense of being
weak and sickly, tears and hysterics, you can't beat her."

"Oh, Daddy, Daddy," said Patsie, laying her hand on his arm to calm him,
"she can't, she won't refuse to come to your help now when it's a
question of honor, our honor and her honor. I know, I promise you, we
will pay over every cent of what you owe."

"You think so? Try!"

"Daddy," said Patsie quietly, "I have $500,000 you gave me. Bojo and I
tried our best to sell them and raise money for you. If you had only let
me know sooner perhaps we could have. Every cent of that will go to you.
Doris, too, I know, will give her third. We will only ask my mother for
what we are giving ourselves. That she will not refuse, she cannot, she
won't dare. Daddy, there is one thing you must not worry about. We won't
let any one say a single word against you. Every cent you owe shall be
paid. I'll promise you that."

At the first mention of what she had done, Drake turned and stared at
her, deaf to what had followed