moved. Finally Orde left the
office at a loss how to proceed next. Lambert, secretly overjoyed at
this opportunity of exercising an unaccustomed and autocratic power,
refused to see beyond his instructions. Heinzman's attitude puzzled
Orde. A foreclosure could gain Heinzman no advantage of immediate
cash. Orde was forced to the conclusion that the German saw here a
good opportunity to acquire cheap a valuable property. In that case a
personal appeal would avail little.

Orde tramped out to the end of the pier and back, mulling over the
tangled problem. He was pressed on all sides--by the fatigue after his
tremendous exertions of the past two weeks; by his natural uneasiness in
regard to Carroll; and finally by this new complication which threatened
the very basis of his prosperity. Nevertheless the natural optimism of
the man finally won its ascendency.

"There's the year of redemption on that mortgage," he reminded himself.
"We may be able to do something in that time. I don't know just what,"
he added whimsically, with a laugh at himself. He became grave. "Poor
Joe," he said, "this is pretty tough on him. I'll have to make it up to
him somehow. I can let him in on that California deal, when the titles
are straightened out."

XLV

Orde did not return to the office; he felt unwilling to face Newmark
until he had a little more thoroughly digested the situation. He spent
the rest of the afternoon about the place, picking up the tool house,
playing with Bobby, training Duke, the black and white setter dog. Three
or four times he called up Carroll by telephone; and three or four times
he passed Dr. McMullen's house to shout his half of a long-distance and
fragmentary conversation with her. He ate solemnly with Bobby at six
o'clock, the two quite subdued over the vacant chair at the other end
of the table. After dinner they sat on the porch until Bobby's bed-time.
Orde put his small son to bed, and sat talking with the youngster as
long as his conscience would permit. Then he retired to the library,
where, for a long time, he sat in twilight and loneliness. Finally, when
he could no longer distinguish objects across the room, he arose with a
sigh, lit the lamp, and settled himself to read.

The last of the twilight drained from the world, and the window panes
turned a burnished black. Through the half-open sashes sucked a warm
little breeze, swaying the long lace curtains back and forth. The hum
of lawn-sprinkl