lie (A Touch of the Poet you tlling me. T used to have my room here, and there's nights he’s madder drunk than mest when he throws it in he face he had to mary hee because— Mind yo, Fm not saying anything aguinst poor Nora. A swocter woman never lived. And T know you know all about i ‘entoan (Reluctanily.): T do. Wasn't I raised on his estate? atanor: He tells er it was the priests tricked him into marrying her. He hates press ‘oxscan: He's alr, then. He may like to blame it on them but its litle Con Melody cared what they said. Nothing ever made him do anything, except himself, He maered her because he'd fallen in love with her, but he was ashamed of her in his pride at the same time because her folks were only ignorant peasants on his estate, as poor as poor. Nora was at pretty a girl as you'd ind in a years travel and he'd come to be bitte lonely, with » ‘woman's company but the whores was helpin’ him ruin the estate. (He shrage his shoulders) Well, anyways, he ‘married her and then went off to the war, and lefe her alone in the eastle to ave her child, and nivie saw her again till he was sent home from Spain, Then he raised ‘what money he still was able, and took her and Sari haere to America where no one would kaow him, aioy (Thinking thi over for « moment): It's hard for ime to believe he ever loved her. Ive seen the way he treats her nove. Well, thank you for telling me, and take my oath TI nivie breathe a word of it—for Nors sake, not his. cxacan (Grimly.): You'd better kape quiet for feat of hin too. If he's onchalf the man he was, he could bate the lights out ofthe too ay us. atoy: He's strong as a bull still for all the whiskey Ie ‘drunk, (He puches the bottle toward casanx:) Have: other taste. (cmeaaw pours out « drink.) Drink hearty. coax: Long life. (He drinks. savor puts the decanter “Aet One vas] and glus buck on the cupboard. A git voce is heard from the hala right. cases jure phat) That Sara sn it? TH get on. Shell likely Blame me for Can setting so crunk hse night. TI be back after Con fe thon (Ue goes ont at tart to goin the bar, wf tre too wanted to avoid sans. Then he sits down def andy) stny: Re chnned i€ Tl ran fom her, (He takes up the [Piper ass suawy comes in from the halla right) (ons is twenty, an exceedingly prety gid with « mast of Black hai. fis shin with roxy cheeks, and bea, dlecp blue eyes. There is a curious Bending in her of ‘ehas are commonly conidred aristocratic and peasant haratvisics She asa ine forhend. Her ose tin and stright, She har small ears se dose to her well ‘shaped head, and w sender neck. Her month, nthe ‘ther hand, as 0 touch of coarseness and senuaiy and her jaw is t00 heaey. Her figure i strong and “grace with jul, fr Breasts and hips, and a ender fests Bub she has large fet and Broad, ugly hands sith stubby fingers Her voice soft and sical, but der speech has a times « sdfconscons, sited quality about it, due to her restraining a tendency 10 lap into brag: Her exray waking sees of cheap me terial, but she wears itn & ana that gives a ples ‘effect of bewsty unadorned.) on sna (ih lca or, sty): Yn sy © intersupe you when you're 20 busy, but have you your bar book ready for me to look. iret yon svator(Surily.):Thave.1putiton your desk owas Thank you. (She tar her back on him, sits at the desk, takes a small account book jom it, and. begins Checking figures) nor (Watches her over his paper): It is pis. wn looking fot, you won' ind them—not wih ln sel