s of his case called him, to see and argue with this man or that,
the situation would have simplified itself somewhat, though there would
still have remained obstacles to be overcome.

"But a man who has hard work to look his room rent in the face, and knows
he can't do that for more than a few months, is in a tight place," said
Tom. "Evidence that will satisfy the Government isn't easily collected in
Dupont Circle. These fellows have heard men talk before. They've heard
too many men talk. There's Stamps, now--they've heard Stamps talk. Stamps
is way ahead of me where lobbying is concerned. He knows the law, and he
doesn't mind having doors shut in his face or being kicked into the
street, so long as he sees a chance of getting indemnified for his 'herds
of cattle.' I'm not a business man, and I mind a lot of things that don't
trouble him. I'm not a good hand at asking favours and sitting down to
talk steadily for a solid hour to a man who doesn't want to hear me and
hasn't five minutes to spare." But for Rupert and Sheba he would have
given up the claim in a week and gone back to Talbot's Cross-roads
content to end his days as he began them when he opened the store--living
in the little back rooms on beans and bacon and friend chicken and
hominy.

"That suited me well enough," he used to say to himself, when he thought
the thing over. "There were times when I found it a bit lonely--but, good
Lord! loneliness is a small thing for a man to complain of in a world
like this. It isn't fits or starvation. When a man's outlived the habit
of expecting happiness, it doesn't take much to keep him going."

But at his side was eager youth which had outlived nothing, which
believed in a future full of satisfied yearnings and radiant joys.

"I am not alone now," said Rupert; "I must make a place and a home for
Sheba. I must not be only a boy in love with her; I must be a man who can
protect her from everything--from everything. She is so sweet--she is so
sweet. She makes me feel that I am a man."

She was sweet. To big Tom they were both sweet in their youth and radiant
faith and capabilities for happiness. They seemed like children, and the
tender bud of their lovely young passion was a thing to be cherished. He
had seen such buds before, but he had never seen the flower.

"I'd like to see the flower," he used to say to himself. "To see it would
pay a man for a good deal he'd missed himself. The pair of them could set
up a pre