would find some one else more worthy, that he would forget me and be
happy, and that I would be forgotten inside of six months. Well, none of
these things has happened. He hasn't found any one else, he still loves
me, and he isn't happy. I am going back on my bargain, Mrs. Tresslyn,
because you haven't carried out your part of it. If you think it was easy
for me to give him up when I did, you are very much mistaken. But that
wouldn't interest you, so I'll say no more about it. We'll come down to
the present, if you don't mind, and see where we stand; George needs me
now, but no more than he has needed me all along. I intend to stick to him
like a leech from this time on, Mrs. Tresslyn. You had your chance to make
_your_ kind of a man out of him, and I guess you'll admit that you failed.
Well, I'm going to begin where you were content to leave off. You treated
me like a dog, and God knows you've treated George but little better,
although perhaps you didn't know what you were doing to him. He is down
and out. You didn't expect things to turn out as they have. You thought
I'd be the one to go to the devil. Now I'll put it up to you squarely. I
still have the thirty thousand you gave me. It is nicely invested. I have
lived comfortably on the income. A few years ago I sold George to you for
that amount. Well, I'll buy him back from you to-morrow."

"Buy my son from me?" gasped Mrs. Tresslyn.

"You made it a business proposition three years ago, so I'll do the same
now. I want to be fair and square with you. I'm going to take him back in
any event, but I shall be a great deal better satisfied if you will let me
pay for him."

Mrs. Tresslyn had recovered herself by this time. She gave the younger
woman a frosty smile.

"And I suppose you will expect to get him at a considerably reduced
price," she said sarcastically, "in view of the fact that he is damaged
goods."

"You shall have back every penny, Mrs. Tresslyn," said Lutie, with
dignity.

"How ingenuous you are. Do you really believe that I will _sell_ my son to
you?"

"I sold him to you," said the other, stubbornly.

Mrs. Tresslyn arose. "I think we would better bring this interview to an
end, Miss Carnahan. I shall spare you the opinion I have formed of you
in--"

"Just as you please, Mrs. Tresslyn," said Lutie calmly. "We'll consider
the matter closed. George comes back to me at my own price. I--"

"My son shall never marry you!" burst out Mrs. Tresslyn, furi