"He came here with letters," he began. "We gave him a chance. Nobody really knew what he was--"
Ogden stood there straight before him. He ground his teeth together to keep his face composed; behind him his nails dug into the palms of his hands, as he held himself back from springing forward and fastening them around the throat of Abbie Brainard's father. There was a ringing in his ears, and through it there sounded faintly the fine tones of Fairchild, speaking to Mary Brainard:
"Nobody really knows who he is, or who his people are, or where he is from ... a town full to overflowing with single young men ... from everywhere. They are taken on faith. Most of them are all right, no doubt; but others--"
He was now one of the "others"; his "people," whom no one had known, were to be known now, after years of probity, as the relatives of a--
"Nobody really knew who he was," Brainard repeated; "but he was taken right in and given a good place. Hasn't he ever wondered why? Is it so easy to go into a new town, and get a good job in a bank the very first thing? Wasn't there any other men to jump at the chance of a position half as good--ain't the city full of 'em? Wasn't there any of 'em in the bank itself who was waiting for the place themselves--and had a right to it, too? Why was there a vacant place to fill, anyhow? Because, a week before, another man had done just what this man has done. He was your man, Fairchild, too. And why did this one here come stepping in ahead of all the old ones? You fixed it, Fairchild; you liked his looks and his talk, you said. Another bad guess for you."
Fairchild studied the carpet with abashed eyes, as were he himself the culprit.
"Yes," Brainard continued, "he was put in a good place and he was pushed right along. Hasn't he ever guessed why? Does a new man come into an office like this, and get as far along inside of a year as he has, without there being any reason for it 2 I'll tell him the reason for it. I did it because my girl here--"
"Father!" cried Abbie, with face aflame. "No! No!"
"You say you understand," he said, turning towards her. "Now, let _him_ understand, too. I advanced him to this position," he went on shamelessly, "because my girl here asked me to."