o save at
the risk of losing my own. Isn't that worth some sort of return? Isn't
it worth even the sacrifice of a whim? Louise, don't look at me that
way. Is it possible that you don't grasp--" He hesitated and turned his
face toward the parlor whence came again the cough, hollow and
distressing. The sound died away, echoing down the hall, and a hen
clucked on the porch and a passage door slammed.

"Louise," he said, looking at her.

"Yes, sir."

"Do you catch--"

"I catch everything, father. It was noble of you to jump into the river
when you didn't know but that you might be drowned, and recognizing that
you risked your life, and feeling a deep gratitude, it is hard to repay
you with disobedience. Wait a moment, please. You must listen to me. It
is hard to repay you with disobedience, but it cannot be helped. You say
that Mr. Pennington is dying and I know that you speak the truth. He
knows that he is dying, and he appeals to me not to let him die
alone--not alone in words," she quickly added, "but with something
stronger than words, his helplessness, his despair. Other people have
appeared to shun him because he is dying, but--"

"Hold on," he broke in. "I deny that. No one has shunned him because he
is dying. Everybody is sorry for him, and you know that I would do
anything for him."

"Would you? Then let him die under this roof as my husband. Oh, look how
poor and thin he is, so helpless, and dying day by day, with no
relatives near him, with nothing in prospect but long nights of
suffering. Please don't tell me that I shan't take care of him, for I
feel that it is the strongest duty that will ever come to me. Listen how
he coughs. Doesn't it appeal to you? How can you refuse--how can you
remind me of the gratitude I owe you?"

Tears were streaming down her face. He bent over her, placed his hands
upon her cheeks and kissed her, but instantly he drew back with his
resentful stiffening of the shoulders.

"Louise, it can't be. No argument and no appeal can bring it about. It
makes me shudder to think of it. Really I can't understand it. The
situation to me is most unnatural. But I won't be harsh with you. But I
must say that I don't know where you get your stubbornness. No, I won't
be harsh. Let me tell you what I will agree to do. He may come to this
house and stay here until--may stay here and the best of care shall be
taken of him, and you may nurse him, but you must not bear his name.
Will you agree to