I
know what you feel. I want you to permit me."

It was Mrs. Meredith who had walked around behind them unobserved and
now held out her hand. They fell back, embarrassed. She appeared to
fathom their position.

"I know," she said. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I saw you here. I wanted
to talk to you both and so, well, I overheard. Take this, won't you?
Please permit me."

Bill suddenly reached his hand out and found in his palm a roll of
bills, rare in that camp. He looked at them curiously.

"There is five hundred dollars in it," she said. "That permits a
reasonable gift from each of you. You can return it to me at your
convenience."

Neither of them had spoken to her in all this time. Now both voiced
thanks. But a moment later Dick found himself talking alone and
telling her that he would send her a check within a few days to cover
the amount of the loan; but she was not looking at him. He saw that
her eyes were fixed on the big man by his side, who stood there
looking down into her face. For some reason she appeared embarrassed
by that direct scrutiny, and her eyes fell, and wandered around on
those standing nearest. Suddenly she frowned, and wondering they
followed the direction of her look. Not ten feet from them, standing
stockily on his feet with his high, heavy shoulders squared, his hands
thrust deep into his pockets, his firm face unmoved, his hat shading
his eyes, stood Bully Presby. He made no movement toward the goal of
the contributors, and seemed to have no intention of so doing. As if
to escape an unpleasant situation The Lily suddenly walked toward
him.

"Good-evening, Mister Presby," she saluted, and he slowly turned his
head and stared at her. He did not shift his attitude in the least,
and appeared granite-like in his rigid pose.

"I suppose," she said, "that you have put something into the
contribution."

"I have not," he replied with his customary incisive, harsh voice.
"Why should I? The contribution means nothing to me."

The brutality, the inhumanity of his words made her recoil for an
instant, and then she recovered her fearlessness and dignity.

"I might have known that," she said, coolly. "I should have expected
nothing more from you. The lives of these--all these--" and she
gestured toward those around--"mean nothing to you. Nor the sufferings
and poverties of those dependent on them."

"Certainly not," he answered with a trace of a harsh sneer outlined on
his face. "If they get