"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let him come to the house?"
"I was doing my best to stop it, Dad."
"You were, eh—well, you'll stop it now! Understand me, Billy, he's your friend—you brought him here—way back at the start. You've got to put a stop to this——"
"But how?" I asked, trying to steady my voice. "What do you think that I can do?"
"You can talk to her, can't you? God Almighty! Make her see this will ruin her life!"
"I can't do that."
"Can't you?" He rose and bent over me gripping my arms, and I felt his violent trembling. "If you don't, it's the end of me," he said.
"Steady, Dad—now steady—this is coming out all right, you know——" I got him back into his chair. "I'm going to do all I possibly can. I'm going to see Joe Kramer now—he's the only one who can influence her. I'm going to get him to come to Sue and help me make her feel what's ahead—the hardest, ugliest parts of his life. Now promise you'll keep out of it, promise you'll leave her alone while I'm gone."
He agreed to this at last and I left him. But as I went into the hall Sue came to me from the other room. Her face was white and strained.
"Well, Billy?" she said. My throat tightened. She looked so pitifully worn.