“I waited all that night without tasting food or moving, listening for her step on the stairs.  And in the morning the postman came without a line or a word for me.  I couldn’t understand; for I had been a good husband to her, and though I thought over everything that had happened since we’d been married, I couldn’t think of a thing that I’d done to hurt her—­for I wasn’t thinking then of the millions of Paul Bargee.

“In the afternoon there came a dirty little lawyer shuffling in to see me, with blinking little eyes behind his black-rimmed spectacles—­a toad of a man.

“‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘and what are you doing here?’

“‘I’m simply an attorney,’ he said, cringing before my look—­’Solomon Scholl, on a very disagreeable duty,’ he said.

“‘Do you come from her?’ I said, and I caught my breath.

“‘I come from Mr. Paul Bargee,’ he said, ’and I’d remind you, Mr. Moore, that I come as an attorney on a disagreeable duty.’

“With that I drew back and looked at him in amazement, and said:  ’What has he got to say to me?’

“‘My client,’ he said, turning the words over with the tip of his tongue, ‘regrets exceedingly—­’

“‘Don’t waste words!’ I said angrily.  ‘What are you here for?’

“‘My client,’ he said, looking at me sidelong, ’empowers me to offer you fifteen thousand dollars if you will promise to make no trouble in this matter.’

“I sat down all in a heap; for I didn’t know the ways of a gentleman then, Bob, and covered my face with the horror I had of the humiliation he had done me.  The lawyer, he misunderstood it, for he crept up softly and whispered in my ear: 

“’That’s what he offers—­if you’re fool enough to take it; but if you’ll stick to me, we can wring him to the tune of ten times that.’

“I got up and took him and kicked him out of the room, and kicked him down the stairs, for he was a little man, and I wouldn’t strike him.

“Then I came back and said to myself:  ’If matters are so, I must get the best advice I can.’

“And I knew that Joseph Gilday was the top of the lot.  So I went to him, and when I came in I stopped short, for I saw he looked perplexed, and I said:  ’I’m in trouble, sir, and my life depends on it, and other lives, and I need the best of advice; so I’ve come to you.  I’m Larry Moore of the Giants; so you may know I can pay.’  Then I sat down and told him the story, every word as I’ve told you; and when I was all through, he said quietly: 

“‘What are you thinking of doing, Mr. Moore?’

“‘I think it would be better if she came back, sir,’ I said, ’for her and for the child.  So I thought the best thing would be to write her a letter and tell her so; for I think if you could write the right sort of a letter she’d come back.  And that’s what I want you to show me how to write,’ I said.

“He took a sheet of paper and a pen, and looked at me steadily and said:  ‘What would you say to her?’