liams. He pays me a better salary than any one else would give me;
yet you almost insulted him yesterday and went off for a walk with that
country jake."

"Isn't Dic your friend?" asked Rita.

"No, of course he ain't," replied Tom. "Do you think I'd take him out
calling, with such clothes as he wears, to see any of the girls?"

"I hope not," answered Rita, struggling with a smile.

"No, sir," insisted Tom, "and if I lose my place because you mistreat
Williams on Dic's account, he shan't come into this house. Do you
understand? If he does, I'll kick him out."

"You kick Dic!" returned Rita, laughing. "You would be afraid to say
'boo' to him. Tom, I should be sorry to see you after you had tried to
kick Dic."

"Well, I'll tell you now, Sis," said Tom, threateningly, "you treat
Williams right. If you don't, your big, jakey friend will suffer."

"It is on Dic's capital that father is making so much money," responded
Rita. "Had it not been for him we would still be on Blue. I certainly
wish we were back there."

"Your father will soon pay Dic his money," said Mrs. Bays, solemnly,
"and then we will be free to act as we wish."

"The debt to Dic is no great thing," said Tom. "The firm owes Williams
nearly four times that amount, and he isn't a man who will stand much
foolishness. Father is not making so much money, either, as you think
for, and the first thing you know, with your smartness, you will ruin
him and me both, if you keep on making a fool of yourself. But that
wouldn't hurt you. You don't think of nobody but yourself."

"That has always been Rita's chief fault," remarked the Chief Justice,
sitting in solemn judgment upon a case that was not before her. Poor
Rita was beginning to feel that she was a monster of selfishness. Her
father came feebly to her defence.

"I don't believe the girl lives," said Thomas, Sr., "who is less selfish
than Rita. But Fisher and I do owe Williams a great deal of money, and
are not making as much as we did at first. The crops failed last summer,
and collections are hard. Williams has been pressing for money, and I
hope all the family will treat him well, for he is the kind of man who
might take out his spite upon me, for the sake of getting even with
somebody else."

Rita's heart sank. Her father, though a weak vassal, had long been her
only ally.

Had Williams not been a suitor for her hand, Rita would have found him
agreeable; and if her heart had been free, he might hav