"Four or five dollars! That's all! That's all you and I have got left in
the world to live on, and even that's not mine!"

His voice shook with agony, and he raised one hand to his forehead, not
dramatically, as many foreigners would do, but quietly and firmly, and
he pressed and kneaded the surface as if he were trying to push his
brains back into the right place, so that they would work, or at least
keep quiet. After that answer Newton was too sensible to ask any more
questions, and perhaps he was also a little afraid to, because questions
might make his father worse.

"Well," he said vaguely, "if I can't work at the City I suppose I may as
well go out before it's dark and take a look at the pond. It's going to
freeze hard to-night, and maybe there'll be black ice that'll bear by
to-morrow."

Overholt was glad to be left alone, for he could not help being ashamed
of having broken down so completely before the boy, and he felt that he
could not recover his self-control unless he were left to himself.

He heard Newton go up the rickety stairs to his own room, where he
seemed to be rummaging about for some time, judging from the noises
overhead; then the strong shoes clattered on the staircase again, the
house door was opened and shut, and the boy was off.




VI