The　Cost
  by　David　Graham　Phillips
  CONTENTS
  CHAPTER
  I　　　　　　　　　A　FATHER　INVITES　DISASTER
  II　　　　　　　　OLIVIA　TO　THE　RESCUE
  III　　　　　　　AND　SCARBOROUGH
  IV　　　　　　　　A　DUMONT　TRIUMPH
  V　　　　　　　　　FOUR　FRIENDS
  VI　　　　　　　　〃LIKE　HIS　FATHER〃
  VII　　　　　　　PAULINE　AWAKENS
  VIII　　　　　　THE　DECISION
  IX　　　　　　　　A　THOROUGHBRED　RUNS　AWAY
  X　　　　　　　　　MRS。　JOHN　DUMONT
  XI　　　　　　　　YOUNG　AMERICA
  XII　　　　　　　AFTER　EIGHT　YEARS
  XIII　　　　　　〃MY　SISTER　IN　LAW；　GLADYS
  XIV　　　　　　　STRAINING　AT　THE　ANCHORS
  XV　　　　　　　　GRADUATED　PEARLS
  XVI　　　　　　　CHOICE　AMONG　EVILS
  XVII　　　　　　TWO　AND　THE　BARRIER
  XVIII　　　　　ON　THE　FARM
  XIX　　　　　　　PAULINE　GOES　INTO　POLITICS
  XX　　　　　　　　A　MAN　IN　HIS　MIGHT
  XXI　　　　　　　A　COYOTE　AT　BAY
  XXII　　　　　　STORMS　IN　THE　WEST
  XXIII　　　　　A　SEA　SURPRISE
  XXIV　　　　　　DUMONT　BETRAYS　DUMONT
  XXV　　　　　　　THE　FALLEN　KING
  XXVI　　　　　　A　DESPERATE　RALLY
  XXVII　　　　　THE　OTHER　MAN'S　MIGHT
  XXVIII　　　　AFTER　THE　LONG　WINTER
  THE　COST
  I。
  A　FATHER　INVITES　DISASTER
  Pauline　Gardiner　joined　us　on　the　day　that　we；　the　Second　Reader　class；　moved　from　the　basement　to　the　top　story　of　the　old　Central　Public　School。　　Her　mother　brought　her　and；　leaving；　looked　round　at　us；　meeting　for　an　instant　each　pair　of　curious　eyes　with　friendly　appeal。
  We　knew　well　the　enchanted　house　where　she　livedstately；　retreated　far　into　large　grounds　in　Jefferson　Street；　a　high　brick　wall　all　round；　and　on　top　of　the　wall　broken　glass　set　in　cement。　　Behind　that　impassable　barrier　which　so　teased　our　young　audacity　were　flower…beds　and　〃shrub〃　bushes；　whose　blossoms　were　wonderfully　sweet　if　held　a　while　in　the　closed　hand；　grape　arbors　and　shade　and　fruit　trees；　haunted　by　bees；　winding　walks　strewn　fresh　each　spring　with　tan…bark　that　has　such　a　clean；　strong　odor；　especially　just　after　a　rain；　and　that　is　at　once　firm　and　soft　beneath　the　feet。　　And　in　the　midst　stood　the　only　apricot　tree　in　Saint　X。　　As　few　of　us　had　tasted　apricots；　and　as　those　few　pronounced　them　better　far　than　oranges　or　even　bananas；　that　tree　was　the　climax　of　tantalization。
  The　place　had　belonged　to　a　childless　old　couple　who　hated　childrenor　did　they　bar　them　out　and　drive　them　away　because　the　sight　and　sound　of　them　quickened　the　ache　of　empty　old　age　into　a　pain　too　keen　to　bear？　　The　husband　died；　the　widow　went　away　to　her　old　maid　sister　at　Madison；　and　the　Gardiners；　coming　from　Cincinnati　to　live　in　the　town　where　Colonel　Gardiner　was　born　and　had　spent　his　youth；　bought　the　place。　　On　our　way　to　and　from　school　in　the　first　weeks　of　that　term；　pausing　as　always　to　gaze　in　through　the　iron　gates　of　the　drive；　we　had　each　day　seen　Pauline　walking　alone　among　the　flowers。　　And　she　would　stop　and　smile　at　us；　but　she　was　apparently　too　shy　to　come　to　the　gates；　and　we；　with　the　memory　of　the　cross　old　couple　awing　us；　dared　not　attempt　to　make　friends　with　her。
  She　was　eight　years　old；　tall　for　her　age；　slender　but　strong；　naturally　graceful。　　Her　hazel　eyes　were　always　dancing　mischievously。　　She　liked　boys'　games　better　than　girls'。　　In　her　second　week　she　induced　several　of　the　more　daring　girls　to　go　with　her　to　the　pond　below　town　and　there　engage　in　a　raft…race　with　the　boys。　　And　when　John　Dumont；　seeing　that　the　girls'　raft　was　about　to　win；　thrust　the　one　he　was　piloting　into　it　and　upset　it；　she　was　the　only　girl　who　did　not　scream　at　the　shock　of　the　sudden　tumble　into　the　water　or　rise　in　tears　from　the　shallow；　muddy　bottom。
  She　tried　going　barefooted；　she　was　always　getting　bruised　or　cut　in　attemptsusually　successful　at　boys'　recklessness；　yet　her　voice　was　sweet　and　her　manner　toward　others；　gentle。　　She　hid　her　face　when　Miss　Stone　whipped　any　one　more　fearful　far　than　the　rise　and　fall　of　Miss　Stone's　ferule　was　the　soaring　and　sinking　of　her　broad；　bristling　eyebrows。
  From　the　outset　John　Dumont　took　especial　delight　in　teasing　herJohn　Dumont；　the　roughest　boy　in　the　school。　　He　was　seven　years　older　than　she；　but　was　only　in　the　Fourth　Readera　laggard　in　his　studies　because　his　mind　was　incurious　about　books　and　the　like；　was　absorbed　in　games；　in　playing　soldier　and　robber；　in　swimming　and　sledding；　in　orchard…looting　and　fighting。　　He　was　impudent　and　domineering；　a　bully　but　not　a　coward；　good…natured　when　deferred　to；　the　feared　leader　of　a　boisterous；　imitative　clique。　　Until　Pauline　came　he　had　rarely　noticed　a　girlnever　except　to　play　her　some　prank　more　or　less　cruel。
  After　the　adventure　of　the　raft　he　watched　Pauline　afar　off；　revolving　plans　for　approaching　her　without　impairing　his　barbaric　dignity；　for　subduing　her　without　subduing　himself　to　her。　　But　he　knew　only　one　way　of　making　friends；　the　only　kind　of　friends　he　had　or　could　conceiveloyal　subjects；　ruled　through　their　weaknesses　and　fears。　　And　as　that　way　was　to　give　the　desired　addition　to　his　court　a　sound　thrashing；　he　felt　it　must　be　modified　somewhat　to　help　him　in　his　present　conquest。　　He　tied　her　hair　to　the　back　of　her　desk；　he　snowballed　her　and　his　sister　Gladys　home　from　school。　　He　raided　her　playhouse　and　broke　her　dishes　andshe　giving　desperate　battlefled　with　only　the　parents　of　her　doll　family。　　With　Gladys　shrieking　for　their　mother；　he　shook　her　out　of　a　tree　in　their　yard；　and　it　sprained　her　ankle　so　severely　that　she　had　to　stay　away　from　school　for　a　month。　　The　net　result　of　a　year's　arduous　efforts　was　that　she　had　singled　him　out　for　detestationthis　when　her　conquest　of　him　was　complete　because　she　had　never　told　on　him；　had　never　in　her　worst　encounters　with　him　shown　the　white　feather。
  But　he　had　acted　more　wisely　than　he　knew；　for　she　had　at　least　singled　him　out　from　the　crowd　of　boys。　　And　there　was　a　certain　frank　good…nature　about　him；　a　fearlessnessand　she　could　not　help　admiring　his　strength　and　leadership。　　Presently　she　discovered　his　secretthat　his　persecutions　were　not　through　hatred　of　her　but　through　anger　at　her　resistance；　anger　at　his　own　weakness　in　being　fascinated　by　her。　　This　discovery　came　while　she　was　shut　in　the　house　with　her　sprained　ankle。　　As　she　sat　at　her　corner　bay…window　she　saw　him　hovering　in　the　neighborhood；　now　in　the　alley　at　the　side　of　the　house；　now　hurrying　past；　whistling　loudly　as　if　bent　upon　some　gay　and　remote　errand；　now　skulking　along　as　if　he　had　stolen　something；　again　seated　on　the　curbstone　at　the　farthest　crossing　from　which　he　could　see　her　window　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye。　　She　understoodand　forthwith　forgave　the　past。　　She　was　immensely　flattered　that　this　big；　audacious　creature；　so　arrogant　with　the　boys；　so　contemptuous　toward　the　girls；　should　be　her　captive。
  When　she　was　in　her　first　year　at　the　High　School　and　he　in　his　last　he　walked　home　with　her　every　day；　and　they　regarded　themselves　as　engaged。　　Her　once　golden　hair　had　darkened　now　to　a　beautiful　brown　with　red　flashing　from　its　waves；　and　her　skin　was　a　clear　olive　pallid　but　healthy。　　And　she　had　shot　up　into　a　tall；　slender　young　woman；　her　mother　yielded　to　her　pleadings；　let　her　put　her　hair　into　a　long　knot　at　the　back　of　her　neck　and　wear　skirts　ALMOST　to　the　ground。
  When　he　came　from　Ann　Arbor　for　his　first　Christmas　holidays　each　found　the　other　grown　into　a　new　person。　　She　thought　him　a　marvel　of　wisdom　and　worldly　experience。　　He　thought　her　a　marvel　of　ideal　womanhoodgay；　lively；　not　a　bit　〃narrow〃　in　judging　him；　yet　narrow　to　primness　in　her　ideas　of　what　she　herself　could　do；　and　withal　charming　physically。　　He　would　not　have　cared　to　explain　how　he　came　by　the　capacity　for　such　sophisticated　judgment　of　a　young　woman。　　They　were　to　be　married　as　soon　as　he　had　his　degree；　and　he　was　immediately　to　be　admitted　to　partnership　in　his　father's　woolen　millsthe　largest　in　the　state　of　Indiana。
  He　had　been　home　three　weeks　of　the　long　vacation　between　his　sophomore　and　junior　years。　　There　appeared　on　the　town's　big　and　busy　stream　of　gossip；　stories　of　his　life　at　Ann　Arborof　drinking　and　gambling　and　wild　〃tears〃　in　Detroit。　　And　it　was　noted　that　the　fast　young　men　of　Saint　Xso　every　one　called　Saint　Christopherwere　going　a　more　rapid　gait。　　Those　turbulent　fretters　against　the　dam　of　dullness　and　stern　repression　of　even　normal　and　harmless　gaiety　had　long　caused　scandal。　　But　never　before　had　they　been　so　daring；　so　defiant。
  One　night　after　leaving　Pauline　he　went　to　play　poker　in　Charley　Braddock's　rooms。　　Braddock；　only　son　of　the　richest　banker　in　Saint　X；　had　furnished　the　loft　of　his　father's　stable　as　bachelor　quarters　and　entertained　his　friends　there　without　fear　that　the　noise　would　break　the　sleep　and　rouse　the　suspicions　of　his　father。　　That　night；　besides　Braddock　and　Dumont；　there　were　Jim　Cauldwell　and　his　brother　Will。　　As　they　played　they　drank；　and　Dumont；　winning　steadily；　became　offensive　in　his　raillery。　　There　was　a　quarrel；　a　fight；　Will　Cauldwell；　accidently　toppled　down　a　steep　stairway　by　Dumont；　was　picked　up　with　a　broken　arm　and　leg。
  By　noon　the　next　day　the　town　was　boiling　with　this　outbreak　of　deviltry　in　the　leading　young　men；　the　sons　and