about to be revealed?"

Good looked inquiringly at Judith, and she motioned to Roger.

"Sit down, Roger," she said quietly. "Mr. Good has a plan to offer."
Then she hesitated momentarily. "If the idea appeals to you--I am
prepared to back you."

Good turned a startled but grateful gaze upon her. But she affected not
to see him. He turned quickly to Roger. Eloquently and passionately he
described the opportunity he offered. Judith, entranced in spite of
herself, followed him intently, while Roger, from derision, went
successively into interest, to close attention, and finally to unbounded
enthusiasm. Judith divined the subtle flattery with which Good concealed
his profounder motives: to the young man he was only opening up an
alluring vista of personal glory.

"Well, Roger," said Good finally, "what's your verdict?"

Roger turned to his sister, his eyes shining. "It's great!" he
whispered. "Will you go through with it, sis?"

Judith heard him only vaguely. Her thoughts, strangely enough, were with
Imrie and his church. But she nodded affirmatively. She seemed only to
be granting another of the endless string of permissions that had marked
her maternal care of him through the years. And the way in which he ran
to her and threw his arms about her and hugged her, was very familiar.
His part in it all seemed curiously unreal. But Good's calm voice
brought home to her the magnitude of the step upon which she was so
blithely deciding.

"One thing, Miss Wynrod. _The Dispatch_ can be bought for very little.
But the kind of paper you are going to make out of it won't make much
money--not for a while. It may cost--quite a little. Do you understand?"
he added sharply, his eyes seeming to speak to her alone.

She caught their message. "Yes," she said calmly; "I understand
perfectly."

Good rose, and pulled a pair of well-worn gloves from his pocket.

"You'll have to act quickly."

"Why?"

"There's a syndicate of reactionaries ready to take it, I'm told. Talk
it over, you two--discuss the bad parts mostly. I'll call you up in the
morning. Then, if you want to go through it, get your lawyer and we'll
settle it up. Good-bye."

"Oh, wait," cried Roger. "There's a million questions I want to ask
you."

"No. You two talk it over. I'm out of it--till to-morrow." And with that
he seized his hat, and in a moment was striding down the avenue. Judith
watched him from the window until he was out of sight. Then she turned
to