would gain nothing by denial.
Besides, there was a matter he was anxious about.

"It wasn't hard to empty his wallet, because he had only a few small
bills."

"Yes; I fixed that. How much did you win from him when he was drunk?"

"He got drunk afterwards," Wilkinson objected. "Then I didn't win it
all; there were three or four others."

Sadie smiled rather grimly. "How much?"

She got a jar when Wilkinson told her, but she fixed him with steady
eyes.

"You knew what he had in his wallet, but let him go on? You thought
Keller's would stand for the debt?"

"Yes," said Wilkinson, with some alarm; "we certainly thought so."

"Very well. Keller's makes good. Take the pen and right out a bill like
this--R. Charnock, debtor in losses on a card game."

"You know it's never done."

"It's going to be done now, or you won't get your cheque. I know what
I'm up against in you and your gang."

Wilkinson hesitated, but he needed the money and made out the bill.
After examining it, Sadie wrote a cheque.

"I've paid you once, for Keller's sake, but you had better stop the card
games after this. Bob's not my partner in the business, and no more of
my dollars will go on gambling."

"Ah!" said Wilkinson sharply, "you're smarter than I thought!"

Sadie gave him a searching glance and he noted an ominous tenseness in
her pose and her drawn-back lips. He said afterwards that she looked
like a wild cat.

"Anyhow, I think I have you fixed. There's nothing doing in making Bob
drunk again, but you had better understand what's going to happen if
you try. The next time you drive over to the settlement after my husband
I'll whip you in the street with a riding quirt."

Wilkinson put the cheque in his pocket and picked up his hat.

"On the whole, I guess I'd better not risk it," he said and went out.

Sadie let him go, and then went limply upstairs. She felt worn out and
her brain was dull. She could not think, and a problem that demanded
solving must wait until the morning. After looking into the room where
Charnock lay and seeing that he was sleeping heavily, she went to bed.

Next morning she shut herself in the office at the store and gave the
clerks strict orders that she was not to be disturbed. Opening a drawer,
she took out a rough balance sheet, which showed that the business was
profitable and expanding fast. Things were going very well, in spite of
Bob's extravagance, and she thought she had prevented his wasting any