nsiveness set her tongue faltering and left her groping blindly
for the cause of the trouble between them.

It was some moments before Will answered her. He sat glaring at the
table, the smoke of his pipe clouding the still air of the neat
kitchen. He knew he was facing a critical moment in their lives. He
saw dimly that he had, for his own interests, gone a shade too far.
Eve was not a weakling, she was a woman of distinct character, and
even in his dull, besotted way he detected at last that note of
rebellion underlying her appeal. Suddenly he looked up and smiled.
But it was not altogether a pleasant smile. It was against his
inclination, and was ready to vanish on the smallest provocation.

"You're taking things wrong, Eve," he said, and the strain of
attempting a conciliatory attitude made the words come sharply. "What
do I want your money for, but to try and make more with it? Do you
think I want you to keep me? I haven't come to that yet." His tone was
rapidly losing its veneer of restraint. "Guess I can work all right.
No, no, my girl, you haven't got to keep me yet. But money gets money,
and you ought to realize it. I admit my luck at 'draw' has been
bad--rotten!" He violently knocked his pipe out on a plate. "But it's
got to change. I can play with the best of 'em, an' they play a
straight game. What's losing a few nights, if, in the end, I get a big
stake? Why Restless helped himself to a hundred dollars last night.
And I'm going to to-night."

[Illustration: He sat glaring at the table, the smoke of his pipe
clouding the still air of the neat kitchen.]

"But, Will, you've said that every night for the last month. Why not
be fair with yourself? Your luck is out; give it up. Will, give up the
saloon for--for my sake. Do, dear." Eve rose and went round to the
man's side, and laid a tenderly persuasive hand upon his shoulder. She
was only waiting for a fraction of encouragement. But that fraction
was not forthcoming. Instead he shook her off. But he tried to do it
pleasantly.

"Here, sit you down, Eve, and listen to me. I'm going to tell you
something that I hadn't intended to, only--only you're bothering such
a hell of a lot."

His language passed. She was used to it now. And she sat shrinking at
his rebuff, but curious and half fearful at what he might have to tell
her.

"I'm going to have a flutter to-night, no matter what comes, make your
mind up to that. And, win or lose, it's my last. Get that? Bu