assured him, "and when I do--I'm going
now."

"Home?"

Momentarily, Beatrice's eyes swam. It seemed a good sign, and Johnson
Boller rose hurriedly. The eyes ceased swimming and blazed at him!

"I am never going there again," Beatrice informed him, with the old,
chilling calm. "I shall go to a hotel, and later, I hope, back to father
and mother. You will hear from my lawyers, Johnson, within a day or
two."

"But, Beatrice----" Johnson Boller protested. "That doesn't mean that
you're crazy enough to--to try divorcing me?"

"I am not crazy, and there will be very little trouble about it,
Johnson," the lady said gravely. "That is what it means. Good-by."

A moment she paused before Johnson Boller, looking him up and down with
a scorn so terrible that, innocent or otherwise, he cringed visibly.
Another moment her eyes seemed to soften a little, for they were deep
and wonderful, maddeningly beautiful, but millions of miles from the
unworthy creature who had once called them his own. This, apparently,
was Beatrice's fashion of saying an eternal good-by to one she had once
loved--for having looked and thrilled him, she moved on, and the door
closed behind her.

"She means it!" croaked Johnson Boller.

"She'll cool down," said Anthony.

"She will not, and--she means it!" cried his friend, wrath rising by
great leaps. "She's going to sue me for divorce--_me_, that never even
looked a chicken in the eye on the street. She's going to bust up our
happy little home, Anthony, and it's your fault!"

"Poppycock!" said his host.

"That be damned!" stated Johnson Boller, and this time he actually
howled the foul words. "That's what she wants to do, and I don't blame
her! But she'll never do it, Anthony! Your reputation's all right--it's
unfortunate for the girl, of course, but I'm going to stop her!"

"How?"

"I'm going to tell the cold truth and make the girl back it up!"

"Hey?"

"I owe something to myself and to Beatrice, and I don't owe anything to
you or the Dalton girl! Where's my hat?"

Anthony gripped him suddenly.

"Are you cur enough," said he, angrily, "to sacrifice Miss Dalton simply
to----"

"You bet I am!" said Johnson Boller. "If it comes down to that, _the
truth_ can't hurt her, and any little odds and ends of things that
happen before all hands understand the truth will happen to you--not
me!"

Anthony smiled wickedly.

"Just listen to me a moment before you start!" he said curtly.

"Listen