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for social perfection and advancement, and so eager to get up in the world himself, he could not
understand how she could possibly have done any such thing. He resented bitterly the
stumbling-block she had put in his path. Now, among other things, his enemies would have this
to throw in his face if they wanted to--and they would want to, trust life for that.
Callum reached his knowledge of the matter in quite another manner, but at about the same
time. He was a member of an athletic club which had an attractive building in the city, and a fine
country club, where he went occasionally to enjoy the swimming-pool and the Turkish bath
connected with it. One of his friends approached him there in the billiard-room one evening and
said, "Say, Butler, you know I'm a good friend of yours, don't you?"
"Why, certainly, I know it," replied Callum. "What's the matter?"
"Well, you know," said the young individual, whose name was Richard Pethick, looking at
Callum with a look of almost strained affection, "I wouldn't come to you with any story that I
thought would hurt your feelings or that you oughtn't to know about, but I do think you ought to
know about this." He pulled at a high white collar which was choking his neck.
"I know you wouldn't, Pethick," replied Callum; very much interested. "What is it? What's the
point?"
"Well, I don't like to say anything," replied Pethick, "but that fellow Hibbs is saying things around
here about your sister."
"What's that?" exclaimed Callum, straightening up in the most dynamic way and bethinking him
of the approved social procedure in all such cases. He should be very angry. He should
demand and exact proper satisfaction in some form or other--by blows very likely if his honor
had been in any way impugned. "What is it he says about my sister? What right has he to
mention her name here, anyhow? He doesn't know her."
Pethick affected to be greatly concerned lest he cause trouble between Callum and Hibbs. He
protested that he did not want to, when, in reality, he was dying to tell. At last he came out with,
"Why, he's circulated the yarn that your sister had something to do with this man Cowperwood,
who was tried here recently, and that that's why he's just gone to prison."
"What's that?" exclaimed Callum, losing the make-believe of the unimportant, and taking on the
serious mien of some one who feels desperately. "He says that, does he? Where is he? I want
to see if he'll say that to me."
Some of the stern fighting ability of his father showed in his slender, rather refined young face.
"Now, Callum," insisted Pethick, realizing the genuine storm he had raised, and being a little
fearful of the result, "do be careful what you say. You mustn't have a row in here. You know it's
against the rules. Besides he may be drunk. It's just some foolish talk he's heard, I'm sure. Now,
for goodness' sake, don't get so excited." Pethick, having evoked the storm, was not a little
nervous as to its results in his own case. He, too, as well as Callum, himself as the tale-bearer,
might now be involved.
But Callum by now was not so easily restrained. His face was quite pale, and he was moving
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