e failed and he was silent again, plucking nervously at the
sheet, while Hermione's proud head drooped and her hands clasped and
wrung each other in an agony of shame; but to these painfully rigid
hands came another hand, big and strong yet very gentle, at whose
soothing touch those agonised fingers grew lax and soft, then clung
to that strong hand in sudden, eager passion.

"Poor old Spike!" said Ravenslee, and his tone was as gentle as his
touch.

"But--but, Geoff," stammered the boy. "I--oh, don't you see? I meant
to--kill you?"

"Yes, I understand; you thought I deserved it--why?"

"Oh, I was crazy, I guess! Bud told me lies--an' I believed him--lies
about you an' Hermy--he said--you'd make Hermy go--the same road--little
Maggie Finlay went--so I came t' kill you--"

"Spike, if you believed that, if you really believed that, I don't blame
you for trying a shot--"

"But I didn't--I couldn't! When I saw you sittin' there so unsuspectin',
I just couldn't do it--I tried to, but I couldn't. An' somehow I dropped
th' gun, an' then I heard a shot, an' when I looked up I saw you throw
out your arms an' fall--my God, I'll never forget that! Then I saw Bud
starin' down at you an' th' pistol smokin' in his hand. I meant t' do it
but I couldn't, so Bud did it himself. I'm as bad as him, I reckon, but
it was Bud shot you--Soapy saw him an' knows it was Bud--ask Soapy. An'
now I've told you all; I guess I ain't fit t' stay here any longer."

Spike's voice choked upon a sob, he buried his face in the pillow, and
so there fell a silence--a strange, tense hush, a pause so unexpected
that he looked up and saw that Hermione's head was bowed no longer, but
she stood, very proud and tall, gazing upon her husband, and in her eyes
was a great and wondrous light; and as she looked on him so he gazed on
her. They had no thought, no eyes for Spike just then, wherefore he hid
his face again.

"I guess this about puts the kybosh on th' brother business!" he sighed
miserably, "an' I sure ain't fit t' be th' Spider's pal, I reckon!"

But now the Spider spoke, rather quick and jerkily:

"Say, Kid--get onto this! I'm takin' back--everything I says t' you
t'day, see? Because, oh, well--I guess you've sure woke up at last! So,
Kid--give us your mitt!"

Eagerly Spike grasped the Spider's big fist, and they shook hands
gravely and very deliberately, looking into each other's eyes the while.
Then, still quick and jerkily, the Spider turned