"Yesh, Dennie's good girl, all right."

Then a silence fell.

Presently, the old man spoke again.

"Shay, Prof esh, 'd ye mind doin' somethin' for me?"

"What is it?" Burgess was by nature courteous.

"If anything sh'd ever happen to me, 'd you take care
of Dennie? Shay, would you?"

"If I could do anything for her, I would do it," the young man replied.

"Somethin' gonna happen to me. I ain't shafe. I know I'll go
that way. But you'll be good to Dennie. Now, wouldn't you?
I'd ask Funnybone, but he's no shafer 'n I am. No shafer!
You'll be good to Dennie, you said so. Shay it again!"

Bond was standing now bending threateningly toward Burgess,
who had also risen.

"I'll do all that a gentleman ought to do." He had only one thought--
to pacify the drunken man and get away. And the old man understood.

"Shwear it, I tell you! Lif' up your right hand an'--an' shwear to take
care of Dennie, or I'll kill you!" Bond insisted.

He was a large, muscular man, towering over the slender young