as good as any, and better than any, if it comes to that." He turned to
his father. "You thought a lot of George," he added. "He was the apple
of your eye. He had a soft tongue, and most people liked him; but George
was foolish--I've known it all these years. George was pretty foolish.
He gambled, he bet at races, he speculated--wild. You didn't know it.
He took ten thousand dollars of your money, got from the Wonegosh farm he
sold for you. He--"

Cassy Mavor started forwards with a cry, but Black Andy waved her down.

"No, I'm going to tell it. George lost your ten thousand dollars, dad,
gambling, racing, speculating. He told her--Cassy-two days after they
was married, and she took the money she earned on the stage, and give it
to him to pay you back on the quiet through the bank. You never knew,
but that's the kind of boy your son George was, and that's the kind of
wife he had. George told me all about it when I was East six years ago."

He came over to Cassy and stood beside her. "I'm standing by George's
wife," he said, taking her hand, while she shut her eyes in her misery--
had she not hid her husband's wrong-doing all these years? "I'm standing
by her. If it hadn't been for that ten thousand dollars she paid back
for George, you'd have been swamped when the Syndicate got after you,
and we wouldn't have had Lumley's place, nor this, nor anything. I guess
she's got rights here, dad, as good as any."

The old man sank slowly into a chair. "George--George stole from me--
stole money from me!" he whispered. His face was white. His pride and
vainglory were broken. He was a haggard, shaken figure. His self-
righteousness was levelled in the dust.