r face. "You may not
believe it, but I have a conscience." Absently, "A curious sort of a
conscience--one that might become very troublesome, I'm afraid--in some
circumstances."

Instantly the fine side of David Hull's nature was to the fore--the
dominant side, for at the first appeal it always responded. "So have
I, Jen," said he. "I think our similarity in that respect is what
draws me so strongly to you. And it's that that makes me hope I can win
you. Oh, Jen--there's so much to be done in the world--and you and I
could have such a splendid happy life doing our share of it."

She was once more looking at him with an encouraging interest. But she
said, gently: "Let's not talk about that any more to-day, Davy."

"But you'll think about it?" urged he.

"Yes," said she. "Let's be friends--and--and see what happens."

Hull strolled up to the house with her, but refused to stop for lunch.
He pleaded an engagement; but it was one that could--and in other
circumstances would--have been broken by telephone. His real reason for
hurrying away was fear lest Jane should open out on the subject of
Victor Dorn with her father, and, in her ignorance of the truth as to
the situation, should implicate him.

She found her father already at home and having a bowl of crackers and
milk in a shady corner of the west veranda. He was chewing in the
manner of those whose teeth are few and not too secure. His brows were
knitted and he looked as if not merely joy but everything except
disagreeable sensation had long since fled his life beyond hope of
return--an air not uncommon among the world's successful men. However,
at sight of his lovely young daughter his face cleared somewhat and he
shot at her from under his wildly and savagely narrowed eyebrows a
glance of admiration and tenderness--a quaint expression for those
cold, hard features.

Everyone spoke of him behind his back as "Old Morton Hastings."

In fact, he was barely past sixty, was at an age at which city men of
the modern style count themselves young and even entertain--not without
reason--hope of being desired of women for other than purely practical
reasons. He was born on a farm--was born with an aversion to physical
exertion as profound as was his passion for mental exertion. We never
shall know how much of its progress the world owes to the physically
lazy, mentally tireless men. Those are they who, to save themselves
physical exertion, have devised all m