aby to die?"

Slipping the ring on her finger, she kissed it twice. The hot flood of
tears overflowed, and she fell on her knees beside the cot, clasping
her hands above her bowed head.

"Alone in my desolation! Oh, father! keep close to my soul, and pray
that I may have strength to bear my burden, even to the end. My God! My
God! sustain me now. Help me to be patient, and when the sacrifice is
finished, accept it for Christ's sake, and grant that the soul of my
brother may be ransomed, because I die for his sins."

CHAPTER XIV.

"Well, dear child, what is the trouble? Into what quagmire have your
little feet slipped? When you invite me so solemnly to a private
conference in this distractingly pretty room, the inference is
inevitable that some disaster threatens. Have you overdrawn your bank
account?"

Judge Dent leaned back, making himself thoroughly comfortable in a deep
easy chair in Leo's luxurious library; and taking his niece's hand,
looked up into her grave, sweet face.

"I want you to honor my draft for a large amount. I am about to draw
upon your sympathy; can I ever overdraw my account with that royal
bank?"

"Upon my sympathy, never; but mark you, this does not commit me to
compliance with all your Utopian schemes. If you were raving mad, I
should sympathize, but nevertheless I should see that the strait-jacket
was brought into requisition. When your generosity train dashes
recklessly beyond regulation schedules of safety, I must discharge
engineer sympathy, and whistle down the brakes. What new hobby do you
intend that I shall ride?"

"I have no intention of sharing that privilege even with you; I merely
desire you to inspect the accoutrements, to examine reins, and girth,
and stirrup. I lend my hobby to no one, and it is far too mettlesome to
'carry double'. Uncle Mitchell, I feel so unhappy about that poor girl,
that I must do something to comfort her, and only one avenue presents
itself. I want you to have her brought into court on a writ of Habeas
Corpus, and to use your influence with Judge Parkman to grant her bail.
I desire to give the amount of bond he may require, because I think it
would gratify her, to have this public assurance that she possessed the
confidence of her own sex; for nothing so strengthens and soothes a
true woman as the sympathy and trust of women."

"Looking at the case dispassionately from a professional point of view,
I am sorry to tell you that the judge wou