Like a shamed schoolboy Chester unwillingly drew forth the
small case from his pocket. Burns received it. He opened it
and took out the tiny instrument. "It looks like a very good
one," he observed with a sort of deadly quietness. and with
one motion of his big fingers snapped the glass barrel in two.

At this Chester took fire. "That's going a little too far!"
he burst out in wrath.

"Is it? Thought it was you who had gone too far. It's up to
me to bring you back - while I can. Getting this little fiend
out of the way is the first step. Keep cool, Ches - and I'll
try to do the same, though it makes my blood boil to think how
little you've cared for my lectures to you on this very
thing."

"I have cared. But I had no idea "

"Well, you have one now. It's taken you five weeks to acquire
enough of a habit to give you some trouble to drop it. You're
that sort and that's the way it works, anyhow. I wonder you
came to me to-night. Found yourself out of the stuff and
didn't like to try to get it here where folks know you?"

"If you want to put everything in the most disagreeable way
you can - yes," admitted Chester testily.

"That's precisely what I want to do. Put it in such a
disagreeable way that your backbone'll stiffen up a bit and