with the William Holtons, and of
Jack's appearance on the threshold. His indignation waxed hot; the
enormity of the offense was intensified by the fact that he was
describing it to Lois; it seemed even more flagrantly directed against
her, now that he thought of it, than to Phil or Phil's father. He rose
and stood with his back to the fire as he dilated upon it. Lois frowned
once or twice, but at the end she laughed, her light little laugh,
saying:--

"And William has got rid of him, of course."

"Oh, they had it out the next day at the bank, but Jack's not far away.
He's been in Indianapolis making trouble. He resented being kicked out
of the bank--which is about what it came to. And Bill bounced him with
reason. He's in trouble. In spite of automobiles and the fine front they
put up generally, Bill and the First National are not so all-fired
prosperous. Tom's been trying to fix things up for them."

"Tom Kirkwood?" She frowned again at the mention of her first husband,
but appeared interested, listening attentively as he described the
Sycamore Traction difficulties.

"Samuel always was a bad case. So it's come to this, that Tom is trying
to keep William out of jail? It's rather a pretty situation, as you
think of it," she murmured. "Just how does Tom get on?"

"Tom didn't get on at all for a long time; but whenever he was pushed
into a case he burnt himself up on it. Tom was always that kind of a
fellow--if the drums beat hard enough he would put on his war paint and
go out and win the fight. There's a dreamy streak in Tom; I guess he
never boiled out all the college professor he had in him; but he's to
the front now. They think a lot of him over at Indianapolis; he's had a
chance to go into one of the best law firms there. He's got brains in
his head--and if--"

His jaws shut with a snap, as he remembered that his auditor was a woman
who had weighed Tom Kirkwood in the balance and found him wanting. Lois
noted his abrupt silence. She had clasped her knees and bent forward,
staring musingly into the fire, as he began speaking of Kirkwood. Amzi's
cheeks filled with the breath that had nearly voiced that "if."

"If he hadn't married a woman who didn't appreciate him and who wrecked
his life for him, there's no telling what he might have done."

She finished his sentence dispassionately, and sat back in her chair;
and as he blinked in his fear of wounding her by anything he might say,
she took matters in her own