nd a shawl and three old cloaks. All the other things which did
not go into the bonfires went to the Aid Society. They will go back
out West." Sally laughed, a girlish peal, and her husband joined. But
suddenly her smooth forehead contracted. "Edward," said she.

"Well, dear?"

"I am terribly puzzled about one thing." The two were sitting in the
study. Content had gone to bed. Nobody could hear easily, but Sally
Patterson lowered her voice, and her honest, clear blue eyes had a
frightened expression.

"What is it, dear?"

"You will think me very silly and cowardly, and I think I have never
been cowardly, but this is really very strange. Come with me. I am such
a goose, I don't dare go alone to that storeroom."

The rector rose. Sally switched on the lights as they went up-stairs to
the storeroom.

"Tread very softly," she whispered. "Content is probably asleep."

The two tiptoed up the stairs and entered the storeroom. Sally
approached one of the two new trunks which had come with Content from
out West. She opened it. She took out a parcel nicely folded in a large
towel.

"See here, Edward Patterson."

The rector stared as Sally shook out a dress-a gay, up-to-date dress, a
young girl's dress, a very tall young girl's, for the skirts trailed on
the floor as Sally held it as high as she could. It was made of a fine
white muslin. There was white lace on the bodice, and there were knots
of blue ribbon scattered over the whole, knots of blue ribbon confining
tiny bunches of rosebuds and daisies. These knots of blue ribbon and the
little flowers made it undeniably a young girl's costume. Even in the
days of all ages wearing the costumes of all ages, an older woman
would have been abashed before those exceedingly youthful knots of blue
ribbons and flowers.

The rector looked approvingly at it. "That is very pretty, it seems to
me," he said. "That must be worth keeping, Sally."

"Worth keeping! Well, Edward Patterson, just wait. You are a man, and
of course you cannot understand how very strange it is about the dress."
The rector looked inquiringly.

"I want to know," said Sally, "if Content's aunt Eudora had any young
relative besides Content. I mean had she a grown-up young girl relative
who would wear a dress like this?"

"I don't know of anybody. There might have been some relative of
Eudora's first husband. No, he was an only child. I don't think it
possible that Eudora had any young girl relative."

"If