"Of course I didn't," he snapped. "Do you suppose I was wanted then?
'No, sir,' I says, 'for them there is only two people in all the
world--there's Tim and there's Mary.'"

Perry was putting on his overcoat, winding his long comforter about his
neck and drawing on his mittens.

"To tell the truth," he said, with a forced laugh, "I don't feel as
chipper as I usually do under such like circumstances. It seems to me
you ain't so chipper as you might be, either, Mark."

"Good-night, Perry," I said, smoking very hard.

"Good-night," he answered. At the door he paused and gazed at me.

"Say, Mark," he said, "them two was just intended for one another--you
know it--I see you know it. God picked 'em out for one another. I
know it. You know it, too. But it's hard not to be picked
yourself--ain't it?"

Tim's minute! God keep me from such another!

* * * * * *

It was all so plain now. The fire was dying away. The hands of the
clock were crawling off another hour, and still he did not come. But
what did I care? All in the world that I loved I had lost--Mary and my
brother--and Tim had taken both. He who had so much had come in his
strength and robbed me, left me to sit alone night after night, with my