pace of twenty minutes or so before the offices of Mr. Norris Vine, at the top of a great flight of stairs in a building near M

st going out

ered. "I have at least hal

chair before his desk. The sunshine fell upon his thin

she asked, "or are things going

ed his

to crush all one's nervous instincts, and when one has s

no

a good many of the fires had burned out, and left

," he answere

understand how men can make the slaves of themselves that you do

se pernicious habits of cigarette smoking, or morphia taking. It g

e is anything in the world which wo

nly, with his clenched fist. His face was still c

ove my chains; but don't you understand that one gets into t

is with you, Nor

ple have learned how to live, wealth isn't in the least necessary. I had enough for Italy, for a season in Paris, for a little sport in Hungary, even for a month or two at

"in imagining that just now th

ractically ignoring us. We are losing money fast. That is what happens to any one who dares to raise a finger against the accursed idols of this country. Three of the greatest advertisement contractors have given us notice that th

d. "I have been told to-day

ou?" he ask

e answered. "I have b

your father's allies! He and Bardsley and Weiss and y

no

wered, "but I fancy ther

ested now, a

at you know

or not, and he gave me to understand that they suspected him of playing them false. I believe that as usual my father ha

f the window for a momen

he end is not far off. I believe that Littleson is right, Stella. I believe that your f

id, "something were to happen so that

urse, and the finance of this country is one of the most ghastly things in the world. All the same, there are degrees of rascality, and there is no one

ook he

ore I go I want you to answer me a question. Once before, when my fathe

d her, but she

u out again? Supposing I could give you something for your paper which would produce the greatest sensation which New Y

"I think I wou

roached her a little hesitat

iss me, Norr

ut she still dr

use I don't want to be angry with you. If you knew more about women, you would know that there is nothing one resents so much in the world as affection that is offered in the way t

ll for the elevator. They stood for

, "that in your heart you must

t then all men are ungrateful, and there

time for any further adieux. Norris Vine walked slowly ba