ragged
him to the door.

"Dirty work!" said the woman, when the two had gone. Her eyes were dark
with anger as she stared at Gray.

"It must look so to you," he agreed. "Frankly, I didn't enjoy it."

"Bah!" Margie turned to Briskow, but in his attitude, his averted gaze,
she read the doom of her hopes. One final chance remained, however, and
desperately she snatched at it. "Buddy!" she cried. "_Buddy!_" Her
voice was poignant as she pleaded. "I couldn't tell you the truth. I
wanted to--I laid awake nights trying to get the courage, but I was
afraid you wouldn't understand. I'd have told you the whole thing, if
you'd ever given me the chance. You know I've been married; does it
make so much difference that I have a son?" When the object of her
appeal only stirred, she went on, reproachfully: "Are you going to
allow this--this man to--come between us?"

"I wouldn't believe you now, if--" Buddy choked. "I'm through!"

"You mean that?" The young fellow nodded. "Very well!" Something in the
tone of the last words, some accent of desperation, caused Buddy to
raise his head. He was in time to see Margie fumble with her purse and
extract something therefrom; to Buddy's eyes it resembled a bottle.
"There is no use fighting any more. You have ruined my life."

"My God!" young Briskow yelled, in dismay. "Don't do that! Stop her!"
He leaped to his feet and lunged for the poison vial which was
trembling upon Arline's lips. Gray, too, had been galvanized into
action, but of an unexpected nature; he grappled with Buddy and held
him. "Look out!" the latter gasped. "She's killin' herself." The Texan
was weak with horror; he could only paw impotently at his captor and
cry: "Arline! You wouldn't do _that?_ For _me?_ Lemme go. Arline--"

"This is the end," moaned the woman, still holding the bottle to her
lips. Her despair was tragic; nevertheless, she did not instantly hurl
herself into the hereafter. This hesitation at meeting death was only
natural, perhaps, for none but the bravest can leap into the unknown
without a moment of farewell.

"Drink hearty!" Gray exclaimed, over his shoulder, meanwhile closing
tighter his embrace of the terrified youth.

Buddy's struggles suddenly ceased, for at last the bottle had been
drained; the girl was groping blindly toward the nearest chair.

"God'lmighty! You let her do it!" he cried, hoarsely. "You--you
_murderer_! We--we gotta get a doctor, quick."

"Nonsense! Water won't hurt her; a