kicked the unconscious Theriere that time upon the Halfmoon.

"What's the matter?" he asked, alarmed. "What have I

done now? I had to croak the stiff--he'd have got me sure

if I hadn't, and then he'd have got you, too. I had to do

it for your sake--I'm sorry you saw it."

"It isn't that," she said slowly. "That was very brave,

and very wonderful. It's Mr. Mallory I'm thinking of. O

Billy! How could you do it?"

The man hung his head.

"Please don't," he begged. "I'd give my life to bring him

back again, for your sake. I know now that you loved

him, and I've tried to do all I could to atone for what I did

to him; just as I tried to play white with Theriere when I

found that he loved you, and intended to be on the square

with you. He was your kind, and I hoped that by helping him

to win you fairly it might help to wipe out what I had done

to Mallory. I see that nothing ever can wipe that out. I've

got to go through life regretting it because you have taught

me what a brutal, cowardly thing I did. If it hadn't been for

you I'd always have been proud of it--but you and Theriere

taught me to look at things in a different way than I ever

had learned to before. I'm not sorry for that--I'm glad, for

if remorse is a part of my punishment I'll take it gladly and

welcome the chance to get a little of what's coming to

me. Only please don't look at me that way any more--it's

more than I can stand, from you."

It was the first time that the man ever had opened his heart

in any such whole-souled way to her, and it touched the

girl more than she would have cared to admit.

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