his work was through. He was in a fevered state of
mind, owing to the blight his wife's action threatened to cast upon
his entire future. While he was not sure how much significance might be
attached to the threat she had made, he was sure that her attitude, if
long continued, would cause him no end of trouble. She was determined,
and had worsted him in a very important contest. How would it be from
now on? He walked the floor of his little office, and later that of his
room, putting one thing and another together to no avail.

Mrs. Hurstwood, on the contrary, had decided not to lose her advantage
by inaction. Now that she had practically cowed him, she would follow up
her work with demands, the acknowledgment of which would make her word
LAW in the future. He would have to pay her the money which she would
now regularly demand or there would be trouble. It did not matter what
he did. She really did not care whether he came home any more or not.
The household would move along much more pleasantly without him, and she
could do as she wished without consulting any one. Now she proposed to
consult a lawyer and hire a detective. She would find out at once just
what advantages she could gain.

Hurstwood walked the floor, mentally arranging the chief points of
his situation. "She has that property in her name," he kept saying to
himself. "What a fool trick that was. Curse it! What a fool move that
was."

He also thought of his managerial position. "If she raises a row now
I'll lose this thing. They won't have me around if my name gets in the
papers. My friends, too!" He grew more angry as he thought of the talk
any action on her part would create. How would the papers talk about it?
Every man he knew would be wondering. He would have to explain and deny
and make a general mark of himself. Then Moy would come and confer with
him and there would be the devil to pay.

Many little wrinkles gathered between his eyes as he contemplated this,
and his brow moistened. He saw no solution of anything--not a loophole
left.

Through all this thoughts of Carrie flashed upon him, and the
approaching affair of Saturday. Tangled as all his matters were, he did
not worry over that. It was the one pleasing thing in this whole rout of
trouble. He could arrange that satisfactorily, for Carrie would be glad
to wait, if necessary. He would see how things turned out to-morrow, and
then he would talk to her. They were going to meet as usual. He