that on the place!  How she’s managed to put up with me all these years is more than I can figure; it gets my goat to look back at the kinda mark I’ve been—­strutting around, spending money I never earned, and never thanking her—­feeling abused, by thunder, because she didn’t—­oh, it’s hell!  I can’t talk about it.  I’m going back and see her, and tell her where I stand.  She’ll kick me out if she’s got any sense, but that’ll be all right.  I’ll see her, and then I’m going to the chief of police and straighten out that bandit stuff.  I’m going to tell just how the play came up—­just a josh, it was.  I’ll tell ’em—­it’ll be bad enough, at that, but maybe it’ll do some good—­make other kids think twice before they get to acting smart-alecky.

“So you run along home, Marion, and maybe some day—­if they don’t send me up for life, or anything like that—­maybe I’ll have the nerve to tell yuh—­” A dark flush showed on his cheek-bones, that were gaunt from worry and hard living.  He moved uneasily, tugging at the collar of his sweater.

“You’ve got your nerve now, Jack Corey, if you want to know what I think,” Marion retorted indignantly.  “Why, you’re going up against an awfully critical time!  And do you think for a minute, you big silly kid, that I’ll let you go alone?  I—­I never did—­ah—­respect you as much as I do right now.  I—­well, I’m going right along with you.  I’m going to see that chief of police myself, and I’m going to see your mother.  And if they don’t give you a square deal, I’m going to tell them a few things!  I—­”

“You can’t go.  Don’t be a fool, sweetheart.  You mustn’t let on that you’ve thrown in with me at all, and helped me, and all that.  I appreciate it—­but my friendship ain’t going to be any help to—­”

“Jack Corey, I could shake you!  The very idea of you talking that way makes me wild!  I am going.  You can’t stop me from riding on the train, can you?  And you can’t stop me from seeing the chief—­”

“I’d look nice, letting your name get mixed up with mine!  Sweetheart, have some sense!” Jack may not have known what name he had twice called her, but Marion’s eyes lighted with blue flames.

“Some things are better than sense—­sweetheart,” she said, with a shy boldness that startled her.  The last word was spoken into the snow-matted fur of her muff, but Jack heard it.

“You—­oh, God!  Marion, do you—­care?” He reached out and caught her by the shoulders.  “You mustn’t.  I’m not fit for a girl like you.  Maybe some day—­”

“Some day doesn’t mean anything at all.  This part of today is what counts.  I’m going with you.  I—­I feel as if I’d die if I didn’t.  If they send you to jail, I’ll make them send me too—­if I have to rob a Chinaman!” She laughed confusedly, hiding her face.  “It’s awful, but I simply couldn’t live without—­without—­”

“Me?  Say, that’s the way I’ve been feeling about you, ever since Lord knows how long.  But I didn’t suppose you’d ever—­”