eared thick at my temples and there was in my crown
what was for such a shock as mine a thin spot. "I am saved!" said I to
myself, venturing a long breath, as I stood on the steps of Galloway's
establishment, where hourly was transacted business vitally affecting
the welfare of scores of millions of human beings, with James
Galloway's personal interest as the sole guiding principle. "Saved!" I
repeated, and not until then did it flash before me, "I must have paid
a frightful price. He would never have consented to interfere with
Roebuck as soon as I asked him to do it, unless there had been some
powerful motive. If I had had my wits about me, I could have made far
better terms." Why hadn't I my wits about me? "Anita," was my instant
answer to my own question. "Anita again. I had a bad attack of family
man's panic." And thus it came about that I went back to my own office
feeling as if I had suffered a severe defeat, instead of jubilant over
my narrow escape.

Joe followed me into my den. "What luck?" asked he, in the tone of a
mother waylaying the doctor as he issues from the sick room.

"Luck?" said I, gazing blankly at him.

"You've seen the latest quotation, haven't you?" In his nervousness
his temper was on a fine edge.

"No," replied I, indifferently. I sat down at my desk and began to
busy myself. Then I added: "We're out of the Coal combine, I've
transferred our holdings. Look after these things, please." And I gave
him the checks, notes and memoranda of agreement.

"Galloway!" he exclaimed. And then his eye fell on the totals of the
stock I had been carrying. "Good God, Matt!" he cried. "We were
ruined!"

And he sat down, and buried his face and cried like a child--and it
was then that I measured the full depth of the chasm I had escaped. I
made no such exhibition of myself, but when I tried to relight my
cigar my hand trembled so that the flame scorched my lips. I
registered a vow never to gamble again--not with stocks, not with
cards, not at all. And I've kept faith with myself.

"Ruined?" I said to Joe, easily enough. "Not at all. We're back in the
road, going smoothly ahead--only, at a bit less stiff a pace. Think,
Joe, of all those poor devils down in the mining districts. They're
out--clear out--and thousands of 'em don't know where their families
will get bread. And though they haven't found it out yet, they've got
to leave the place where they've lived all their lives, and their
fathers before t