-front room, right hand side of the hall. There's a
check-book in the tray--and I'll give you twenty minutes to get back
here with it. You'll find me somewhere around here, but you needn't let
the whole earth in on the presentation--see? Now beat it!"

As Pale Face Harry hurried away, Madison, seemingly as aimless, as
hysterical as the hundreds about him, moved here and there, but
unostentatiously he kept nearing the upper end of the lawn, and,
finally, hidden by the woodshed at the further end of the cottage, he
slipped quickly around to the rear. Here the garden stretched almost to
the edge of the sandy beach--not a soul was in sight--and the beat of
the surf deadened the sound from the front lawn to little more than a
low, indistinct murmur.

Quickly now, Madison stepped to where one of the old-fashioned windows,
that swung inward from the center like double doors, was open, and,
reaching in his hand, tapped sharply twice in succession with his
knuckles on the pane. The sill was not quite on a level with his
shoulders and he could see inside--it was Helena's room, and the door to
the hall was open. Again he knocked. Came then the sound of
footsteps--and from the hall the Flopper's face peered cautiously around
the jamb of the door.

"Tell Helena to come here," called Madison softly.

The Flopper turned his head, called obediently, and in a dazed sort of
way came himself to the window. His face was haggard, and he shivered
as he licked his lips.

"I pulled de stunt," said the Flopper in a croaking voice, "but de
kid--Doc--did youse see de kid? I got de shakes--it's like de whole of
hell an' de other place was loose, an' Helena's gone batty, an'--pipe
her, dere she is."

Into the room came Helena, her face like chalk--all color gone from even
her lips. She clutched at the window beside the Flopper for support.

"I'm frightened," she whispered. "We've gone too far--it's--it's--John
Madison, I'm frightened."

Madison did not speak for a moment--Madison was a consummate leader. He
looked, smiling reassuringly, from one to the other--and then leaned
soothingly, confidentially, in over the sill.

"I know how you feel--felt just the same myself for a bit," said he
quietly. "But now look here, you've got to pull yourselves
together--there's nothing to be afraid of. It's natural enough. It's
faith, Helena--and that's what we were banking on--only not quite so
hard. That kid and Mrs. Thornton annexed the real brand,