"Yes, plague take it--I know Jim," the boy muttered, "we all know Jim." "Known well, isn't he?" the man inquired eagerly, "there's no cleverer scholar there, much cleverer, I mean, is there?" Lindsay shook his head. "Not that amounts to anything," he said shortly. "I'll bet there's no better fellow there than Jim--none of the big bugs?" "There is no better fellow anywhere," said Lindsay. Caroline tapped fretfully on the door. "Aren't we ever going, Lin?" she begged; "it's all put back." "Yes, yes, in a minute!" he answered, and turned to the man. "I'm damned sorry to have to do it," he began, "it's a horrible thing to do, but I can't see that there are any two ways about it. I don't want to hear you say any more. If you'll come quietly, well and good. If it was anybody else--but in my uncle's house--and the community--and--well, will you come?" The man sighed. He looked ten years older. "All right," he said, "I didn't know but--well, never mind. My nerve's gone. I never had a failure, you see. An' I always knew I couldn't stand one. Never even left a trail. I couldn't afford to, workin' as I did. I always knew 'twas bound to come, though, and here it is. But it's hard. Jim was telling me last month about this singer that he'd heard was so careless, and I noted it down for use some day. You have to notice those things. He never said his friends lived here. I--it makes me feel dreadful when I think how he'd feel if he knew I'd been working his _friends_ this way--he'd never stand for that, Jim wouldn't. It makes me feel--oh, well, what's the odds? But I wish you didn't belong to Yale College." Lindsay scowled and motioned to the door. "Shut up and come on, will you?" he blurted. The man got up. "I guess I won't see Jim again, then," he said, "will I? Of course there isn't one chance in a hundred he'll ever know. But I couldn't explain why I didn't go up to New Haven, nor send the thousand, and it'll be five years, anyhow--ten, maybe. And I shan't hold out that. The doctor only gave me two." "Ten years? Oh, no!" Lindsay cried. "It's grand larceny," said the man simply. "Lin, Lin, come _on_!" called Caroline. "You've got the pin, and I'll tear the picture up," said the man. "I've got it all planned, o' course--I give the name of Barker. And--and _if_ Jim ever says anything to you or any of his friends about me being mean about the thousand, when I'd promised it, just kind of give a hint, will you, that things may have happened so's I couldn't? I hope he'll think I died. I wish he was through Yale, though. The thousand won't make any difference with graduatin', will it?" Lindsay swallowed hard; his nerves were strained to snapping. "Good God, no!" he shouted. He stepped to the French window, opened it, and threw the revolver over the sill. "Get out!" he said briefly, turning to the man, "get out of my sight! If Jim ever receives another penny from you, I'll tell him all I know."