“That is true. I haven’t been, lately.”
“And I thought perhaps if you looked at things a little differently——”
“I shouldn’t be so harsh?” Helen interrupted, her face flushing. “That is what you mean, Mr. Farley, isn’t it?”
“No, not that,” Farley replied, growing more embarrassed. “I thought perhaps you’d help him to get back where he belongs, that’s all. It’s going to be a hard fight. Most men wouldn’t have the nerve to make it. But he has, if you’ll help him.”
Helen’s eyes filled with tears. “You make me ashamed, Mr. Farley. If you can forgive him, after all you’ve done for him——”
Farley laughed. “Oh, I haven’t done half so much as you think, Mrs. Briggs. I’ll feel repaid if you’ll only make him see that he ought to stay in the fight.” He heard steps in the hall and Briggs’s voice speaking to the reporter. A few moments later, Briggs entered, looking more cheerful.
“Well, it wasn’t half so bad as I thought. Nice fellow. One of those young college men. He was so ashamed of his assignment I had hard work to put him at his ease.”
Farley offered his hand.
“Now I must be off, Mrs. Briggs.”
“Come in to-morrow, Farley,” said Briggs. “I want to have a talk with you.”