lying, indomitable determination, asserted itself -- he
would not fall like an over ripe apple into Simmons'
complacent, waiting grasp. But to get, without
resources, two hundred and fifty dollars by Saturday,
was a preposterous task. Outside his,
Clare's, home, he had nothing to sell; and to sell
that now, he realized with a spoken oath, would be
to throw it away -- the vultures, Hollidew and Co.,
would have heard of his necessity, and regulate their
action, the local supply of available currency, accordingly.

There was no possible way of earning such a sum
in four days; there was little more chance, he realized
sardonically, of stealing it... Sometimes
large sums of money were won in a night's gambling
in the lumber and mining towns over the West Virginia
line. But, for that, he would require capital;
he would have his wages tomorrow; however, if
he gambled with that and lost, Clare and himself
would face immediate, irredeemable ruin. He dismissed
that consideration from the range of possibilities.
But it returned, hovered on the border of
his thoughts -- he might risk a part of his capital,
say thirty dollars. If he lost that they would be
little worse off than they were at present; while if he
won... he might easily win.

He mentally arranged the details, assuring himself,
the while, that he was only toying with the

[[49]]

p048 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p049w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p050

v?