Dangerous Days

"You beat her!" he was saying. "What with?"

"What does that matter--She had bought herself a watch--"

"What did you beat her with?" Rudolph was licking his lips. Receiving no

reply, he called "Katie!"

"Katie has gone."

"Maybe you beat her, too."

"She wasn't my daughter."

"No by God! You wouldn't dare to touch her. She didn't belong to you.

You--"

"Get out," said Herman, somberly. He stood up menacingly. "You go, now."

Rudolph hesitated. Then he laughed.

"All right, old top," he said, in a conciliatory tone. "No offense

meant. I lost my temper."

He picked up the empty coal-scuffle, and went out into the shed where

the coal was kept. He needed a minute to think. Besides, he always

brought in coal when he was there. In the shed, however, he put down the

scuttle and stood still.

"The old devil!" he muttered.

But his rage for Anna was followed by rage against her. Where was she

to-night? Did Graham Spencer know where she was? And if he did, what

then? Were they at that moment somewhere together? Hidden away, the two

of them? The conviction that they were together grew on him, and with it

a frenzy that was almost madness. He left the coal scuttle in the shed,

and went out into the air. For a half hour he stood there, looking down

toward the Spencer furnace, sending up, now red, now violet bursts of

flame.

He was angry enough, jealous enough. But he was quick, too, to see that

that particular lump of potters' clay which was Herman Klein was ready

for the wheel. Even while he was cursing the girl his cunning mind was

already plotting, revenge for the Spencers, self-aggrandizement among

his fellows for himself. His inordinate conceit, wounded by Anna's

defection, found comfort in the early prospect of putting over a big

thing. He carried the coal in, to find Herman gloomily clearing his

untidy table. For a moment they worked in silence, Rudolph at the stove,

Herman at the sink.

Then Rudolph washed his hands under the faucet and faced the older man.

"How do you know she bought herself that watch," he demanded.

Herman eyed him.

"Perhaps you gave it to her!" Something like suspicion of Rudolph crept

into his eyes.

"Me? A hundred-dollar watch!"

"How do you know it cost a hundred dollars?"

"I saw it. She tried that story on me, too. But I was too smart for her.

I went to the store and asked. A hundred bucks!"