his hard gaze upon her and she winced. But she clearly was
enjoying the quarrel. It stimulated her taut nerves. The house behind
her was empty. She felt free to brawl.

"And you? And you?" she jeered. "I suppose he's made a saint of you."

The man's face softened, as he said simply, "I don't claim to be a
saint, Mag. But I owe Kenyon everything I am in the world--everything."

"Well, it isn't much of a debt," she laughed.

"No," he repeated, "it's not much of a debt." After a moment he added,
"Doctor Nesbit has kept this secret all these years. Now it's time to
let these people know. You can see why, and the only reason I came to
you--"

"You came to me, Grant," she cried, "to tell me you were going to shame
me before that--that--before her--that old, yellow-haired tabby, who
goes around doing good! Ugh--"

Grant stared at her blankly a full, uncomprehensive minute. Finally
Margaret went on: "And I suppose the next thing you long-nosed
busybodies will do will be to get chicken hearted about Tom Van Dorn's
rights in the matter. Ah, you hypocrites!" she cried.

"Well, I don't know," answered Grant sternly; "if Lila should go to her
father for advice--why shouldn't he have all the facts?"

Margaret rose. Her bright, glassy eyes flashed. Anger colored her face.
Her bosom rose and fell as she exclaimed: "But she'll not go to him. Oh,
he's perfectly foolish about her. Every time a photographer in this town
takes her picture, he snoops around and gets one. He has her picture in
his watch, in which he thinks she looks like the Van Dorns. When he goes
away he takes her picture in a leather frame and puts it on his table in
the hotel--except when I'm around." She laughed. "Ain't it funny? Ain't
it funny," she chattered hysterically, "him doddering the way he does
about her, and her freezing the life out of him?" She shook with mirth,
and went on: "Oh, the devil's coming round for Tom Van Dorn's soul--and
all there is of it--all there is of it is the little green spot where he
loves this brat. The rest's all rotted out!"

She laughed foolishly. Then Grant said:

"Well, Mag--I must be going. I just thought it would be square to tell
you before I go any further. About the other--the affair of Lila and her
father is no concern of mine. That's for Lila and her mother to settle.
But you and I and Kenyon are bound together by the deepest tie in the
world, Maggie. And I had to come to you." She stared into his gnarled
face, th