amazed and delighted his father by informing him that he had
bought five hundred shares of stock in the mills--he had made the
money, fifty-odd thousand dollars, by a speculation in wool. He
was completely reestablished with his father and with all Saint X
except Colonel Gardiner.

"That young Jack Dumont's a wonder," said everybody. "He'll
make the biggest kind of a fortune or the biggest kind of a smash
before he gets through."

He felt that he was fully entitled to the rights of the
regenerate; he went to Colonel Gardiner's law office boldly to
claim them.

At sight of him the colonel's face hardened into an expression as
near to hate as its habit of kindliness would concede. "Well,
sir!" said he, sharply, eying the young man over the tops of his
glasses.

Dumont stiffened his strong, rather stocky figure and said, his
face a study of youthful frankness: "You know what I've come
for, sir. I want you to give me a trial."

"No!" Colonel Gardiner shut his lips firmly.

"Good morning, sir!" And he was writing again.

"You are very hard," said Dumont, bitterly.

"You are driving me to ruin."