iate. His Honor
found a satisfaction now in watching the blood rise flaming to the roots
of Kate's hair and it gave him a feeling of power knowing that she must
accept the humiliation or leave with her errand unstated, though he
guessed the nature of her visit.

It pleased him, however, to feign ignorance when, gripping the frame of
the doorway, she said in a voice that trembled noticeably in spite of
her obvious effort to steady it:

"I came to ask you if it's true--that you mean to stop work--on
the--case?"

He rolled the chewed end of his cigar between his yellow snags of teeth
and asked insolently:

"What case you talkin' about?"

"There's only one that interests me," she replied, with a touch of
dignity.

"What do you want, anyhow?"

Kate's labored breathing was audible.

"Is it so that you are not going to do any more about the murder of my
uncle?"

"Your uncle!" he snorted, necked the ashes from the end of his cigar,
rolled it back into place with his tongue and reiterated: "Your uncle!"
Then: "What's it to you? You got off, didn't you?"

She came into the room a step or two.

"It's everything to me or I wouldn't be here. Can't you understand what
it means to me--going through life with people thinking--"

"You got the money, didn't you?" he interrupted.

"What you throwing a bluff like this for, anyhow? I guess what people
think ain't worryin' you."

Kate's fingers clenched, but she said quietly:

"You haven't answered my question."

He resented the rebuke, but chiefly her self-control. The bully in him
wanted to see tears, to see her overawed and humble; she had too much
assurance for a social cipher. If she did not realize that fact yet, it
was for him to let her know it.

He brought the front legs of his chair down with a thump and thundered:

"Yes--it's closed, and it won't be opened, neither! You'd better not
start in tryin' to stir up somethin', or you'll be sorry--as it is,
you're a detriment to the community!"

He mistook her white-faced silence, and added with less violence:

"Why don't you fade away, anyhow--sell out and get into something in
your line in some good town or city?"

She was shivering as with a chill as she walked closer and asked in a
hoarse whisper:

"What would you suggest--exactly?"

Ah, this was more like it! There was something even beneficent in his
relaxed features as he answered:

"You could open a first-class place with your stake. It's quick and