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Rh sadder one for me, ye see, bein' gone longer. If 't was to do over again, we'd do better. Well, here's our comfort,"—and before Marden could stop him, he had pulled a black bottle from his pocket, and taken a long swig, leaning back over the table till the sunlight shone through his white mustache. "Here," said he, "have some. It 'll cheer us up."

Harden snatched the bottle from his hand, and whirled it out of the door far down the bank.

"There 'll be none o' that in this house," he cried, his gray eyes blazing, "nor out of it, while we 're talking o' such matters!"

Lee sprang from the table, bulky but active, with knotted fists and an ugly face flushed purple.

"Wha' d' ye mean?" he bellowed. "Who are you to take a man's drink away from him? Do you own this house? It's much mine as yours, an' if I want to take a drink in it, or anything else, what 'll you do about it? Hey?"

Marden stepped closer. He stood very