Gordon was clothed differently. His rakish, sport suit had given way to sober black. He stood erect and not with a leering slouch. Most of all, he had visited a surgeon-dentist and that disfiguring front tooth had been corrected. It had been cut off and a crown put in its place which gave his mouth and the entire front of his face a different appearance. Yes, Gordon had changed. “I’m not angry, Gord. Why, you’re looking fine! What’s happened?” “Maybe I can explain—if you’ll give me the opportunity. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, Madge.” She laid her street wraps on the bed in the adjoining room and came back, patting her hair. “May I smoke, Madge? It would help what I want to say.” Might he smoke? It was the first time Gordon had ever made such a request. Formerly he would have smoked whether it offended her or not. “Certainly,” she replied. He did not produce his familiar gold-plated cigarette case. He lighted a cigar. Then, having accepted the chair she indicated, he leaned back and put a half-inch of ash on the tip of the fine Havana before he started. “Madge, I’ve been an awful cad, haven’t I?” “Yes, Gordon,” was the girl’s candid answer. “You have!” “I know! I’m sorry!” “You’re sorry! And how long have you been sorry?” “Dad came down here to see you, didn’t he—a few months ago?” “I’ll be frank. He did.” “Yes. He went back to Springfield. And do you know what he did?” “What did he do?” “He gave me the darndest thrashing—the first—he ever gave me in his life. I never suspected he had it in him!” “What?” “He did. I wish he’d given it to me a dozen years ago. I had it coming.” Madelaine sat astonished. This from Gordon! “Yes, he did—and I had it coming, I say. Not only that, he stopped my allowance; I haven’t had a cent from him for weeks—months! Four of them!” “Where—what—how are you supporting yourself?” “I went to work, Madge. I’ve been working since the last of February.” “Gordon Ruggles!” “I don’t want any credit. And don’t compliment me. I don’t deserve it.” “What sort of work are you doing?” “I got a job in an iron foundry. I make forty dollars a week. And did you know, Madge—honestly—it looks bigger than the whole thousand your mother let me have the day we first met.” Madelaine could not keep her pleasure from her voice. “That’s simply fine, Gord! And what do your father and mother think about it?” “Pop doesn’t say much. He’s too riled. You must have given him a pretty bad jolt when he came to see you. He always thought we Ruggleses were so absolutely perfect—it certainly took him down a peg, you bet. Mother—well, mother thinks I’m crazy—or at least father is. She thinks it’s pretty much another lark I’m on and in time I’ll get over it.” “That’s not the right attitude, Gord. You’re doing a splendid thing.” Gordon shrugged his shoulders.