ive you
a piece of my mind. What right have _you_ doing a thing like this? Do
you know what I think of you?"

"I do. Also what Mallow thinks of me, for he told me. You see, he
believes firmly that I am a--well, a person of much looser principles
than I really am, and my protestations of honesty only excite his
veiled derision."

"He says he's sorry. Sorry! After spilling the beans."

"Mrs. Fulton, I have learned that life is a mixed affair, and that most
of our actions are the results of conflicting motives. Yes, and that we
ourselves are products of conflicting forces, good and evil. Few of us
are as good as we would like to have people believe nor as bad as we
appear. I wonder if you will believe me when I say that I--like you."

"Certainly not."

"Nevertheless, I do. For one thing, you are a good fighter and a good
loser. I try to be, but I fear I lack your spirit. I would not have
hurt you willingly."

The woman tossed her head and turned away; when she spoke, it was
wearily: "I might have known I couldn't make the jump. I never did win
a big race. A good loser, eh? Well, I've had enough practice at it. How
is Buddy? Hurt, I suppose. His young life is blasted; he'll never trust
another woman."

"He is standing it pretty well, and is greatly cheered by the fact that
he can see out of his left eye practically as well as ever. He is going
back to the oil fields and learn the business. I am going to put him to
work. What are you going to do with Bennie?"

"Do with him? What can I do with him?"

"He is a bright boy."

"I'm bright, too, but I have all I can do to get by."

"It is a shame to think he will grow up into what his father was."

Margie Fulton wheeled and her blue eyes were dark. "I suppose you think
I'm a bad mother. But what do you know about it? How do you know what
I've gone through for him; the sacrifices I've made? I've made plenty
and they came hard."

"I'd like to help you make a man of him."

"What? _You_? How?"

"I'd like to put him in business and teach him that there is no profit
in short-changing customers; that the real wise guy isn't the fellow
who gets the best of every bag of peanuts, but the one who can go back
to the same customer and sell him another bag. The abstract principle
has been put much more succinctly, but I doubt if it would carry the
same weight with him. I'd enjoy giving the boy a hand up, but--he is
more than I'd care to tackle alone."

"There's Mallow to h