ly distressed. The man certainly had frightened her, for
she was all trembling. Going to the door, she first locked it, and
then, turning to Mrs. Parkes, she said, in an agitated voice:

"Don't let him come here again--please! He has such a depressing effect
on me. Somehow or other I'm afraid of him--afraid of him. I don't know
why--but I am."

Suddenly she stopped, and, approaching the landlady, said, in a
shuddering whisper:

"Mrs. Parkes, if anything happens to me----"

"Gracious! What could happen?" cried the old lady.

"I don't know," replied the young girl gloomily. "My uncle is desperate
for money. If anything happened to me--he's the next of kin--he'd get
the estate." She stopped, as if unwilling to tell what was on her mind.
Then, with an effort, she continued: "Supposing he----"

"Supposing he what?" demanded the other.

"I don't know--I have such strange thoughts--I never know what they're
going to do next. Mr. Ricaby doesn't know, either. There's this strange,
inexplicable silence, these strange visits of Dr. Zacharie. It is as if
they were waiting for--for-- It's the uncertainty that gets on my nerves
so."

The old lady shrugged her shoulders.

"Why don't you get married and settle the whole business?" she said.

"Get married!" cried Paula, compelled to smile in spite of her anxiety.

"Certainly. Then your husband can do the worrying, and your uncle could
whistle for the money.

"Yes, yes; but who could I marry?" laughed Paula.

The old woman shook her head sagaciously.

"Oh, just look around a little. You won't have to look very far. My
Harry's a good boy--as different from his father as chalk is to cheese.
He's fine looking, too, and he's a good son--and, Paula, a good son
makes a good husband."

"Get married," said Paula musingly, "and get away from here? Yes. That's
it--that's it."

"I was speaking to Mr. Ricaby about it," went on Mrs. Parkes.

Paula looked up, surprised.

"Mr. Ricaby? What--what did he say?" she demanded.

"He said it was a splendid idea--but you'd have to get your uncle's
consent--or the consent of the court--or something. My advice is to
marry first and ask consent afterward."

Paula was silent and thoughtful for a moment. Then she asked:

"Did Mr. Ricaby seemed pleased at the idea?"

"Well, not--not--exactly pleased. He didn't throw up his hat and dance
a hornpipe, but he congratulated me on having such a fortunate son."

The young girl stared at her lan