ather!"

Ellen hesitated.

"Perhaps I'd better not, today," she murmured, and slowly descended
the steps.

The discreet maid closed the door behind her.

Chapter XVIII

Ellen did not at once return home. She walked on reflecting. So the
old man was Lydia Orr's father! And she was the first to know it!

The girl had never spoken of her father, Ellen was sure. Had she done
so, Mrs. Solomon Black would certainly have told Mrs. Whittle, and
Mrs. Whittle would have informed Mrs. Daggett, and thence, by way of
Mrs. Dodge and Fanny, the news would long ago have reached Ellen and
her mother.

Before she had covered a quarter of a mile of the dusty road, Ellen
heard the muffled roar of an over-taking motor car. She glanced up,
startled and half choked with the enveloping cloud of dust. Jim Dodge
was driving the car. He slowed down and stopped.

"Hello, Ellen. Going down to the village? Get in and I'll take you
along," he called out.

"All right," said Ellen, jumping in.

"I haven't seen you for an age, Jim," said Ellen after awhile.

The young man laughed. "Does it seem that long to you, Ellen?"

"No, why should it?" she returned.

"I say, Ellen," said Jim, "I saw you when you came out of Bolton
House just now."

"Did you?"

"Yes." He looked sharply at Ellen, who smiled evasively.

"I was going to call," she said with an innocent air, "but Miss Orr
had--a visitor."

"Look here, Ellen; don't let's beat about the bush. Nobody knows he's
there, yet, except myself and--you. You met him on the road; didn't
you?"

"Yes," said Ellen, "I met him on the road."

"Did he talk to you?"

"He asked me what my name was. He's crazy, isn't he, Jim?"

The young man frowned thoughtfully at his steering wheel.

"Not exactly," he said, after a pause. "He's been sick a long time
and his mind is--well, I think it has been somewhat affected. Did
he-- He didn't talk to you about himself, did he?"

"What do you want to know for?"

"Oh, he appeared rather excited, and--"

"Yes; I noticed that." She laughed mischievously.

Jim frowned. "Come, Ellen, quit this nonsense! What did he say to
you?"

"If you mean Mr. Orr--"

He turned his eyes from the road to stare at her for an instant.

"Did he tell you his name was Orr?" he asked sharply.

It was Ellen's turn to stare.

"Why, if he is Miss Orr's father--" she began.

"Oh, of course," said Jim hurriedly. "I was just wondering if he had
introduced himself.