Do you know
why he thinks that? Because you turned him out. You thought he would turn
bad. And he respects you. He still turns to you. Ah, if you could hear
him speak of you! He loves you still!"
Elizabeth Cornish dropped back into her chair, grown suddenly weak, and
Kate fell on her knees beside her.
"Don't you see," she said softly, "that no strength can turn Terry back
now? He's done nothing wrong. He shot down the man who killed his father.
He has killed another man who was a professional bully and mankiller. And
he's broken into a bank and taken money from a man who deserved to lose
it--a wolf of a man everybody hates. He's done nothing really wrong yet,
but he will before long. Just because he's stronger than other men. And
he doesn't know his strength. And he's fine, Miss Cornish. Isn't he
always gentle and--"
"Hush!" said Elizabeth Cornish.
"He's just a boy; you can't bend him with strength, but you can win him
with love."
"What," gasped Elizabeth, "do you want me to do?"
"Bring him back. Bring him back, Miss Cornish!"
Elizabeth Cornish was trembling.
"But I--if you can't influence him, how can I? You with your beautiful--
you are very beautiful, dear child.
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