of us had any reason to
be proud, but I believed that you would see in this the chance of
salvation which sometimes comes to a man and a woman fixed as we were
then. What had been had been. It was all in the great to-be for us, and
now, how you've kept your word! What little that promise meant, when I
thought you handed me a new lease of life!"

She cowered before him, unable to say a word in her own defense, almost
wishing he would beat her.

"You're killing me--killing me!" she cried in anguish.

He shrugged his shoulders skeptically.

"Don't make such a mistake," he replied ironically. "In a month you'll
recover. There will be days when you will think of me, just for a
moment, and then it will be all over. With you it is the easiest way,
and it always will be. You'll go on and on until you're finally left a
wreck, just the type of the common woman. And you'll sink until you're
down to the very bed-rock of depravity. I pity you."

Laura quickly raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes were swollen,
her face haggard and drawn. Madison found himself wondering how he
could ever have thought her even good looking. Her voice was metallic
and hard.

"You'll never leave me to do that. I'll kill myself!" she cried
hoarsely.

"Perhaps that's the only thing left for you to do," he replied
cynically; "but you'll not do it. It's easier to live."

He went to get his hat and coat. Then he turned and looked at her.
Laura rose at the same time. There was an unnatural glitter in her
eyes. She breathed hard. Her bosom rose and fell spasmodically.

"John," she cried exaltedly, "I said I'd kill myself, and I mean every
word of it. If it's the only thing to do, I'll do it, and I'll do it
before your very eyes!"

Quickly she snatched up the satchel, opened it, and took out the
revolver. Then she stood facing him, waiting.

"You understand," she cried hysterically, "that when your hand touches
that door I'm going to shoot myself. I will, so help me God!"

He halted and looked back at her, a covert smile of contempt hovering
about his mouth.

"Kill yourself--before me!" he exclaimed ironically. "You'll wait a
minute, won't you?" Returning to the inner room, he called out: "Annie!
Annie!"

The colored maid came running in.

"Yessuh!"

Madison pointed to Laura.

"You see your mistress there has a pistol in her hand?"

The girl, frightened out of her wits, could only gurgle an incoherent:

"Yessuh!"

"She wants t