ing determined efforts to kiss her.

"Let me go!" cried the girl, struggling to free herself. "You must
not touch me! Let me go!"

"Oh, come now, little one," said Samuel pleasantly, "don't be so
mighty stiff about it. One kiss and I let you go."

"That's right, Samuel, my boy," shouted Rosenblatt; "she only wants
coaxing just a little mucher."

Rosenblatt's words were followed by a chorus of encouraging cheers,
for Samuel was not unpopular among the men, and none could see any
good reason why a girl should object to be kissed, especially by
such a man as Samuel, who was already so prosperous and who had
such bright prospects for the future.

But Irma continued to struggle, till Kalman, running to her side,
cried, "Let my sister go!"

"Go away, Kalman. I am not hurting your sister. It's only fun.
Go away," said Sprink.

"She does not think it fun," said the boy quietly. "Let her go."

"Oh, go away, you leetle kid. Go away and sit down. You think
yourself too much."

It was Rosenblatt's harsh voice. As he spoke, he seized the boy
by the collar and with a quick jerk flung him back among the crowd.
It was as if he had fired some secret magazine of passion in the
boy's heart. Uttering the wild cry of a mad thing, Kalman sprang
at him with such lightning swiftness that Rosenblatt was borne back
and would have fallen, but for those behind. Recovering himself,
he dealt the boy a heavy blow in the face that staggered him for
a moment, but only for a moment. It seemed as if the boy had gone
mad. With the same wild cry, and this time with a knife open in
his hand, he sprang at his hated enemy, stabbing quick, fierce
stabs. But this time Rosenblatt was ready. Taking the boy's stabs
on his arm, he struck the boy a terrific blow on the neck. As
Kalman fell, he clutched and hung to his foe, who, seizing him
by the throat, dragged him swiftly toward the door.

"Hold this shut," he said to a friend of his who was following
him close.

After they had passed through, the man shut the door and held it
fast, keeping the crowd from getting out.

"Now," said Rosenblatt, dragging the half-insensible boy around to
the back of the house, "the time is come. The chance is too good.
You try to kill me, but there will be one less Kalmar in the world
to-night. There will be a little pay back of my debt to your cursed
father. Take that--and that." As he spoke the words, he struck the
boy hard upon the head and face, and then flinging