that of the utter outsider. There, she was of the few
looked up to by the whole community. No one knew,
or even suspected, how she was degraded by her step-
father. Before the world he was courteous and
considerate toward her as toward everybody. Indeed,
Presbury's natural instincts were gentle and kindly. His
hatred of Mildred and his passion for humiliating her
were the result of his conviction that he had been tricked
into the marriage and his inability to gratify his resentment
upon his wife. He could not make the mother
suffer; but he could make the daughter suffer--and
he did. Besides, she was of no use to him and would
presently be an expense.

``Your money will soon be gone,'' he said to her.
``If you paid your just share of the expenses it would
be gone now. When it is gone, what will you do?''

She was silent.

``Your mother has written to your brother about
you.''

Mildred lifted her head, a gleam of her former spirit
in her eyes. Then she remembered, and bent her gaze
upon the ground.

``But he, like the cur that he is, answered through a
secretary that he wished to have nothing to do with
either of you.''