ten years of nursing to relieve them of
the burden. Not a penny must come from the mills."

"How shall we live?" she demanded.

"I have arranged that. Your marriage settlement of two thousand five
hundred dollars a year is secured; that is all. How big it seemed in
your eyes when you were a bride! How little now, though your real
needs are less! I shall take a sufficient salary as assistant manager
while I learn the business. It means two thousand dollars a year for
housekeeping, and I have calculated that the sale of all our goods will
pay our personal debts and leave you and me five thousand each to set up
small establishments."

Mrs. Carshaw flounced into a chair. "You must be quite mad!" she cried.

"No, mother, sane--quite sane--for the first time. Don't you believe me?
Go to your lawyers; the scheme is really theirs. They are good business
men, and congratulated me on taking a wise step. So you see, mother, I
really cannot afford a fashionable wife."

"I am--choking!" she gasped. For the moment anger filled her soul.

"Now, be reasonable, there's a good soul. Five thousand in the bank,
twenty-five hundred a year to live on. Why, when you get used to it you
will say you were never so happy. What about dinner? Shall we start
economizing at once? Let's pay off half a dozen servants before we sit
down to a chop! Eh, tears! Well, they'll help. Sometimes they're good
for women. Send for me when you are calmer!"

With a look of real pity in his eyes he bent and kissed her forehead.
She would have kept him with her, but he went away.

"No," he said, "no discussion, you remember; and I must fix a whole heap
of things before we dine!"

CHAPTER XIX

CLANCY EXPLAINS

Carshaw phoned the Bureau, asking for Clancy or the chief. Both were
out.

"Mr. Steingall will be here to-morrow," said the official in charge.
"Mr. Clancy asked me to tell you, if you rang up, that he would be away
till Monday next."

This was Wednesday evening. Carshaw felt that fate was using him ill,
for Clancy was the one man with whom he wanted to commune in that hour
of agony. He dined with his mother. She, deeming him crazy after a
severe attack of calf-love, humored his mood. She was calm now,
believing that a visit to the lawyers next day, and her own influence
with the mill-manager and the estate superintendent, would soon put a
different aspect on affairs.

A telegram came late: "No news."

He sought Senator Meiklejohn at h