"'Look here, Mamie,' he finally said. 'It's just this way. Johnny is a good fellow, but he's dead to you and dead to me. He's done time, and that breaks all marriage ties. Now, I want you to hitch up with me, and lead an honest life. I'll give you a good home, and you won't run any more risk of the pen!'"
Johnny grew very pale as Mamie said the last words; and when she stopped speaking, he said quietly:
"And you did it?"
Mamie again burst into tears. "Oh, Johnny," she cried, "what else could I do. He wouldn't let me go on grafting, and I had to live."
"And so you married him?" Johnny insisted.
The reply was in a whisper.
"Yes," she said.
For the next thirty seconds Johnny thought very rapidly. This woman had his liberty in her hands. He had told her about the negotiable bonds. Besides, he loved Mamie and understood the difficulty of her position. His life as a thief had made him very tolerant in some respects. He therefore swallowed his emotion, and turned a kind face to Mamie.
"You still love me?" he asked, "better than the copper?"
"Sure," said Mamie, warmly.