ays. Then he
brought his clenched fist down hard on the desk for no apparent reason
and muttered something to himself.

XV

As evidenced in the message received by Covington, Levy had not been
neglectful of the case which had been intrusted to him by his new
client. Without much difficulty Buckner was located in New Orleans, and
identified as the proprietor of a low dive which had become the
rendezvous for the most vicious outcasts of the city. Drink and
debauchery had long since destroyed the physical advantages he had
possessed over other men at the time of his marriage. The death of his
child, to whom he had given as much affection as his nature possessed,
the stern arraignment of the neighbor who helped him to his ranch and
later brought him the tragic news, and the consciousness of his own
responsibility in the accident, all combined to drive him almost
immediately away from the scenes which reminded him of it; and as time
passed the bitterness turned to resentment against his wife. If she had
not left the ranch that day, he argued to himself, the accident would
never have happened. She had loathed him for months before the final
separation, and he had resented the disgust which she made no effort to
conceal. There had been enough manhood left in him then to feel it and
to resent it.

When he first heard that she had instituted divorce proceedings his
anger returned, and he determined to hold her to the unwelcome bonds if
for nothing else than to know that she still suffered; but a
consultation with an attorney showed him the futility of any defence, so
he simply held this up against her as another affront to be wiped out if
the time ever came which gave him the opportunity.

But he had long since given up all hope that this time would ever come.
During the years which had elapsed he had drifted from one city to
another, each time taking a stand a degree lower than the preceding. In
New Orleans he had succeeded in getting a little better living than
heretofore, so he had settled down there with the idea of making it a
permanency.

It was a welcome break in the monotony for him to receive a call from
Levy's agent, and the fact that the visitor felt inclined to provide
liquid refreshment of a grade considerably higher than he had been able
to indulge himself in for many years did not detract from his welcome.
As the evening wore on he was quite willing--almost eager--to tell the
story of his life to th