"God knows you have, Charley. But you're going to give me one more trial, aren't you? Please, Charley!"
"Try if you want to, Dick. I don't seem to care, one way or the other."
Dick's head dropped to his chest. With a little inarticulate cry, Elsa ran across the room and pulling Dick's head over to rest on her soft breast, she kissed him on the forehead.
"I care, Dicky!" she cried. "I care! It's my whole life whether you make good or not."
Dick lifted his agonized face and stared into Elsa's tear wet eyes. A slow, twisted smile touched his lips.
"Oh, Elsa! Oh, Elsa!" he breathed. "I think you've saved my soul alive!" He turned his face against her and Elsa, clasping the gray-touched head to her, looked at the others fiercely.
"Now, who hurts Dick, hurts me!"
Roger dropped his hand on Charley's shoulder. "Then look to it that he never hurts Charley again," he said sternly.
There was a silence, broken by Gustav, who came into the kitchen with the milk pail.
"Elsa, make me the pans ready!" he called.