b,
shrinking, animal-like worship in her tone and mien that watered the
feverish waste within him. For the first time in his life he wanted to
take the barefooted child into his lap and fondle her. He longed for a
closer contact with her pitying warmth. To see her weep in his behalf
would help; her childish tears would balm his wounds.

"Come in, kid," he said, gently. "I didn't mean to be rough to-night.
You must overlook it. I was out of sorts--a fool to be so, but I was."

She sat down on the door-step, her eyes glued on him.

"What did he say?" she inquired. "I want to know. Is she coming back to
you?"

"No, she's gone for good, kid," he answered. "But don't you bother; it
is all right."

"What are you going to do?" she asked. "Stay on here in this house? I'll
cook and clean for you, if you do. You can get another wife. If she
wouldn't stay I'd let her go. There are plenty of others. Was she after
some other fellow, brother John?"

"Oh no, no!" he jerked out. "It is not that. Don't you understand? But I
see you don't. How could you?"

"You didn't say whether you are going to stay on here in this house or
not," the child pursued. "That is the main thing."

Suddenly he leaned forward and stared straight at her. "Listen, kid," he
began. "I tried you once and you kept my secret, so I know I can trust
you. If I now tell you something I don't want a soul to know, will you
promise to keep it?"

"Yes, yes," she agreed. "I won't tell, brother John. I'd cut out my
tongue first."

"You see, I don't want Sam to know," John went on. "I don't want my
mother or Jane to know--or Tilly, or any one alive. It is important. Sam
will be as much surprised as any of them. Kid, I've made up my mind to
pack my grip and catch the four-o'clock north-bound train. I'm going to
cut this thing out forever. I'll cover my tracks. Not a living soul
shall know where I am. I've thought it all out, and it is the only thing
to do."

Dora was silent. He saw her fixed gaze shift itself from his eyes to the
gate. Then he noted that her little hands were raised to her face. She
was softly crying. He heard a low sob, and it cut through him like a
gapped and rusty blade. He was surprised. He had never seen her like
that before. "What is the matter?" he inquired. But she did not answer,
and he saw that she was making a strong effort to control her emotion,
as if she realized that it was distinctly out of place there and then.
But he had determin