ut I feel I shall never
have the courage to look that man in the face again."

Mrs. Savine smiled, though her eyes glistened in the firelight as she
laid a thin hand on one of Helen's, which felt burning hot as the
fingers quivered within her grasp.

"You will, or that will hurt him more than all," she replied. "It
wasn't easy to tell you this, but I've seen too many lives ruined for
the want of a little common-sense talking--and I figure Jacob wouldn't
come near beating Geoffrey Thurston."

Helen rose abruptly. "Auntie, you will see to father--he has been
better lately--for just a little while, will not you?" she asked.
"Mrs. Crighton has invited me so often to visit her, and I really need
a change. This valley has grown oppressive, and I must have time to
think."

"Yes," assented Mrs. Savine. "But you must stand by your promise to
fire the final shot."

The door closed, and Mrs. Savine, removing her spectacles, wiped both
them and her eyes as she remarked: "I hope the Almighty will forgive a
meddlesome old woman for interfering, knowing she means well."

CHAPTER XXVIII

LESLIE STEPS OUT

Henry Leslie did not return home at noon on the day following the
altercation with his wife. Millicent had an ugly temper, but she would
cool down if he gave her time, he said to himself. In the evening he
fell in with two business acquaintances from a mining district, who
were visiting the city for the purpose of finding diversion and they
invited him to assist them in their search for amusement. Leslie,
though unprincipled, lacked several qualities necessary for a
successful rascal, and, oppressed by the fear of Shackleby's
displeasure should Thurston return to the mountains prematurely, and
uncertain what to do, was willing to try to forget his perplexities for
an hour or two.

The attempt was so far successful that he went home at midnight,
somewhat unsteadily, a good many dollars poorer than when he set out.
Trying the door of his wife's room, he found it locked. He did not
suspect that it had been locked on the outside and that Millicent had
thrown the key away. He was, however, rather relieved than otherwise
by the discovery of the locked door, and, sleeping soundly, wakened
later than usual next morning. Millicent, however, was neither at the
breakfast-table nor in her own room when he pried the door open. He
saw that some garments and a valise were missing, and decided that she
had favored certai