To go back to school was out of the question. To expect help from his father, overworked and burdened with debt, was impossible. He must go to work, and go to work to aid _her_. A living must be wrung from this town. All the home and all the property Mrs. Welsh had were here, and wherever Maud went the mother must follow; she could not live without her. He was in the midst of the turmoil when Hartley came in, humming the "Mulligan Guards." "In the dark, hey?" "Completely in the dark." "Well, light up, light up!" "I'm trying to." "What the deuce do you mean by that tone? What's been going on here since my absence?" Albert did not reply, and Hartley shuffled about after a match, lighted the lamp, threw his coat and hat in the corner, and then said: "Well, I've got everything straightened up. Been freezing out old Daggett; the old skeesix has been promisin' f'r a week, and I just said, 'Old man, I'll camp right down with you here till you fork over,' and he did. By the way, everybody I talked with to-day about leaving said, 'What's Lohr going to do with that girl?' I told 'em I didn't know; do you? It seems you've been thicker'n I supposed." "I'm going to marry her," said Albert calmly, but his voice sounded strangely alien. "What's that?" yelled Hartley. "Sh! don't raise the neighbors. I'm going to marry her." He spoke quietly, but there was a peculiar numbness creeping over him. "Well, by jinks! When? Say, looky here! Well, I swanny!" exclaimed Hartley helplessly. "When?" "Right away; some time this summer--June, maybe." Hartley thrust his hands into his trousers pockets, stretched out his legs, and stared at his friend in vast amaze. "You're givin' me guff!" "I'm in dead earnest." "I thought you was going through college all so fast?" "Well, I've made up my mind it ain't much use to try," replied Albert listlessly. "What y' goin' t' do here, or are y' goin' t' take the girl away with yeh?" "She can't leave her mother. We'll run this boarding house for the present. I'll try for the principalship of the school here. Raff is going to resign, he says; if I can't get that, I'll get into a law office here. Don't worry about me." "But why go into this so quick? Why not put it off fifteen or twenty years?" asked Hartley, trying to get back to cheerful voice. "What would be the use? At the end of a year I'd be just about as poor as I am now." "Can't y'r father step in and help you?" "No. There are three boys and two girls, all younger than I, to be looked out for, and he has all he can carry. Besides, _she_ needs me right here and right now. Two delicate women struggling along; suppose one of 'em should fall sick? I tell you they need me, and if I can do anything to make life easy, or easier, I'm going t' do it. Besides," he ended in a peculiar tone, "we don't feel as if we could live apart much longer." "But, great Scott! man, you can't----"