Lois was both angry and disgusted at this woman.  Oh, how she longed to tell her something that she would not soon forget.  How she was tempted to place Jasper and Sammie side by side and compare them; the one an insignificant, brainless, useless, overdressed nincompoop; the other a strong, self-reliant, masterful man, fighting against fate with face to the front and head erect.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Dingle,” she said, “I am in a great hurry this morning.  And I am afraid if I stay I may say something to hurt your feelings.  Mr. Randall is a friend of mine, and I have great respect for him.  I have always made it a point of being loyal to my friends, and adversity is the test of friendship.”

Mrs. Dingle stared in amazement after Lois.  She could not understand what had come over the girl, and at luncheon she discussed the matter with Sammie.

“You must see her at once, dear,” she told him.  “It would not do to lose her, for her father is very rich and she is his only daughter.  I am afraid she thinks a great deal of that uncouth fellow who has been arrested.”

“Hm,” her son grunted.  “Don’t you worry one bit.  Spuds’ll be fixed all right.  The noose is hanging over his head and just ready to drop, I was talking to some of the fellows to-day and they say that he’s a goner, and that nothing can save him.  Oh, by the way, Ma, I saw Bramshaw to-day.”

“You did!” his mother replied in surprise.  “Why I thought he had left the city.”

“So he did; but he’s back now all right.”

“Where did you meet him?”

“Just as he was coming out of the C. P. R. ticket office.  He was in a great hurry and had no time to stop and talk.”

“You must find out where he is staying, Sammie, and invite him to come and see us.  He is a very distinguished young man, you know; an artist of wide reputation, and it makes a favourable impression to have such a man visit us.  He is a gentleman, and not like that uncouth man who committed that terrible crime at Creekdale.”

“But I don’t believe he’ll be here long, Ma,” Sammie replied.

“Why, what makes you think that?”

“I guess he’s leaving the city.  He must have been at the office getting his ticket when I met him.  No doubt he is going on this evening’s train.”

“He is visiting some of the big cities, no doubt, Sammie.  A man like that could not be expected to remain in a small place like this.  People must be anxious to see the man who has painted such famous pictures.”

“Have you seen any of them, Ma?” her son asked.

“Oh, no.  But he has told me about them, and they must be great from what he said.  He has sold a great many at large prices, but the most valuable he keeps in his mansion in England, so he informed me.  He said that he regretted that he had not brought several with him, but the risk was too great, and the pictures were so big that it was difficult to transport them so far.”