complaints. Just a note saying she understood and wishing me luck.
Rather fine, eh?"

"And you married right after that?"

"Six weeks afterward."

"And, of course, the present Mrs. Hinman knows that she's got a step-
daughter?"

"The present Mrs. Hinman? Step-daughter? Good Lord, Bingle, I didn't
know you had that much sarcasm in you. But that delicate remark of
yours brings me back to the main issue--the matter I really came over
to see you about. Naturally Mrs. Force knows nothing of--of this story
I've been telling you. Now, what I want to get at is just this: how
can we manage it about Kathleen without causing my wife to suspect?
Put your mind to it, Bingle. How am I going to take the child under my
wing, so to speak--take her into my home, without--" "Wait! We'll look
at it from another point of view. Suppose this detective of yours had
found your child in the slums of New York, a street waif, a beggar--
what then? Was it your intention to take her into your home in that
case? Wasn't it your idea to provide a home for her in some
respectable family, educate her, give her a secret allowance--and let
it go at that? Can you honestly say to me, Force, that you intended to
adopt her--as you are now thinking of doing?"

"Confound you, Bingle, isn't it only reasonable that I should have
wanted to see the child before I made any definite plans for her
future?"