Miss Sampson's reproach, that bothered me.

"About getting drunk again," she said.

"I didn't break _that_ one."

"My cousin George saw you in the Hope So gambling place last night,
drunk, staggering, mixing with that riffraff, on the verge of a brawl."

"Miss Sampson, with all due respect to Mr. Wright, I want to say that he
has a strange wish to lower me in the eyes of you ladies," I protested
with a fine show of spirit.

"Russ, _were_ you drunk?" she demanded.

"No. I should think you needn't ask me that. Didn't you ever see a man
the morning after a carouse?"

Evidently she had. And there I knew I stood, fresh, clean-shaven,
clear-eyed as the morning.

Sally's saucy face grew thoughtful, too. The only thing she had ever
asked of me was not to drink. The habit had gone hard with the Sampson
family.

"Russ, you look just as--as nice as I'd want you to," Miss Sampson
replied. "I don't know what to think. They tell me things. You deny.
Whom shall I believe? George swore he saw you."

"Miss Sampson, did I ever lie to you?"