hat he did not feel.

"The best reason I know of is--for value received. But this doesn't
apply. You allowed it wasn't a debt, so Bob has got no value."

"One sometimes pays for value one expects to get."

Sadie laughed scornfully. "If that's what Bob has done, he'll get badly
stung. There's nothing coming to him from a deal with you. I guess you
don't claim he made you a present of the money?"

"I don't," said Wilkinson, with a frown, for he thought he saw where she
was leading him.

"Very well. One pays for something one has got or is going to get, and
as we can rule out both reasons, the cheque is bad. In fact, it's not
worth keeping. Better give it me back."

"Your argument looks all right, Mrs. Charnock, but you don't start from
sure ground. How do you know there's nothing coming to your husband?"

"I know you," Sadie rejoined. "Anyhow, the cheque is certainly bad.
They'll turn it down if you take it to the bank."

Wilkinson made an abrupt movement. "You can't stop your husband's
cheque. You don't mean he hasn't the dollars to meet it?"

"I don't," said Sadie, with an angry flush. "Bob is honest. The money's
there, but if you think the bank will pay when I tell them not, go and
see. The manager knows me and he knows you."

Wilkinson saw that he was beaten, but tried to hide his anger. "Well, it
looks as if Bob was lucky. He has a wife who will take care of him, and
I reckon he needs something of the kind. However, here's the cheque; I
want a receipt."

Sadie wrote the receipt and he noted that her hand shook. As she got up
he glanced at the quirt.

"Did you ride over? I thought I heard a rig."

"I drove," said Sadie. "Looks as I needn't have brought the quirt.
Well, I'm glad you agreed about the cheque being bad. I meant to get it
anyhow."

Wilkinson gave her a curious look, but said nothing and she went out.

"I've saved Bob's money," she told Helen as she started the team.
"Wilkinson saw my arguments and didn't kick as much as I expected, but
he certainly doesn't like me any better. I think he'll make trouble if
he can."

"That seems unlikely," Helen remarked. "I imagine that as you have
beaten him he'll be glad to let the matter drop. No doubt he wanted the
money and was vexed because he had to give it up, but I hardly think
he'll try to revenge himself on you. Men don't do these things."

"My husband and yours don't, but Wilkinson is different," Sadie
answered.

Charnock had not returned