to all and confusion to sinners.' He died
beholden to no man. Neither have I ever been beholden to any one. Dic is
fortunate, indeed, in finding so good an investment for his money, at
interest; very fortunate indeed."

"I don't want interest," said the too eager Dic.

"Indeed, that is generous in you," returned Mrs. Bays, though she was
determined that Dic should not succeed in casting the burden of an
obligation upon her shoulders. "But of course you know your money will
be safe, and that is a great deal in these days of weak banks and
robbers. If I were in Mr. Bays's place, I should pause and consider the
matter carefully and prayerfully before assuming responsibility for
anybody's money. If it should be stolen from him, he, and not you, would
lose it. I think it is very kind in him to undertake the
responsibility."

That phase of the question slightly dimmed its rosiness; but Dic still
hoped that lending the money would make smoother his path to Rita. At
first he had not foreseen that he, and not the Bayses, would rest under
an obligation. To the girl the lending of this money meant Indianapolis,
Williams, and separation from Dic.

THE TOURNAMENT

CHAPTER X

THE TOURNAMENT

Mr. Bays, rash man that he was, without care or prayer, accepted Dic's
loan and was thankful, despite the good wife's effort to convince him he
was conferring a favor. Her remarks had been much more convincing to Dic
than to her husband. The latter could not entirely throw off the feeling
that Dic was doing him a favor.

The money was to be delivered and the note executed in ten days, Mrs.
Margarita insisting that Dic should be responsible for his own money
until it was needed by her husband.

"He certainly would not ask us to be responsible for his money till we
can use it," she observed, in an injured tone, to her daughter. One
would have supposed from her attitude that an imposition was being put
upon her, though she, herself, being accustomed to bear the burdens of
others, would bow her neck beneath this yoke and accept the
responsibility of Dic's money. She not only convinced herself that such
was the proper view to take of the transaction, but succeeded fairly
well in impressing even Rita with that belief. Such an achievement
required generalship of the highest order; but Mrs. Bays possessed that
rare quality to a degree seldom, if ever, equalled.

The loan was to bear no interest, Dic hoping to heighten the sense of
o