a word of comfort to us."

"Arrested!" I repeated, greatly surprised, for I had not expected it to
happen so soon, if it happened at all.

"Yes, and father is just about prostrated. Franklin, too, but he keeps
up, while father has shut himself into his room and won't see anybody,
not even us. O, I don't know how we are to bear it! Such a disgrace, and
such a wicked, wicked shame! For Howard never had anything to do with
his wife's death, had he, Miss Butterworth?"

"No," I returned, taking my ground at once, and vigorously, for I really
believed what I said. "He is innocent of her death, and I would like the
chance of proving it."

They evidently had not expected such an unqualified assertion from me,
for they almost smothered me with kisses, and called me _their only
friend_! and indeed showed so much real feeling this time that I neither
pushed them away nor tried to withdraw myself from their embraces.

When their emotions were a little exhausted I led them to a sofa and sat
down before them. They were motherless girls, and my heart, if hard, is
not made of adamant or entirely unsusceptible to the calls of pity and
friendship.

"Girls," said I, "if you will be calm, I should like to ask you a few
questions."

"Ask us anything," returned Isabella; "nobody has more right to our
confidence than you."

This was another of their exaggerated expressions, but I was so anxious
to hear what they had to tell, I let it pass. So instead of rebuking
them, I asked where their brother had been arrested, and found it had
been at his rooms and in presence of themselves and Franklin. So I
inquired further and learned that, so far as they knew, nothing had been
discovered beyond what had come out at the inquest except that Howard's
trunks had been found packed, as if he had been making preparations for
a journey when interrupted by the dreadful event which had put him into
the hands of the police. As there was a certain significance in this,
the girls seemed almost as much impressed by it as I was, but we did not
discuss it long, for I suddenly changed my manner, and taking them both
by the hand, asked if they could keep a secret.

"Secret?" they gasped.

"Yes, a secret. You are not the girls I should confide in ordinarily;
but this trouble has sobered you."

"O, we can do anything," began Isabella; and "Only try us," murmured
Caroline.

But knowing the volubility of the one and the weakness of the other, I
shook my hea