I kind of worried all the time I was writing that letter, because if he thought I WAS just making up excuses, why, it might set him just so much more against me." Ever since Mrs.Adams had found that she was to have her way, the depths of her eyes had been troubled by a continuous uneasiness; and, although she knew it was there, and sometimes veiled it by keeping the revealing eyes averted from her husband and children, she could not always cover it under that assumption of absent-mindedness.

The uneasy look became vivid, and her voice was slightly tremulous now, as she said, "But what if he SHOULD be against you--although I don't believe he is, of course--you told me he couldn't DO anything to you, Virgil." "No," he said, slowly.

"I can't see how he could do anything.

It was just a secret, not a patent; the thing ain't patentable.

I've tried to think what he could do--supposing he was to want to--but I can't figure out anything at all that would be any harm to me.