r
and an attempt at murder--at that little club in a week!"

She did not connect the two, and I let the thing rest at that. Once, on
the train, she turned to me suddenly, after she had been plunged in
thought for several minutes.

"Don't you think," she asked, "that she had a sort of homicidal mania,
and that she tried to kill me with chloroform?"

"I hardly think so," I returned evasively. "I am inclined to think some
one actually got in over the porch roof."

"I am afraid," she said, pressing her gloved hands tight together.
"Wherever I go, something happens that I can not understand. I never
wilfully hurt any one, and yet--these terrible things follow me. I am
afraid--to go back to Bellwood, with Aunt Jane still gone, and you--in
the city."

"A lot of help I have been to you," I retorted bitterly. "Can you think
of a single instance where I have been able to save you trouble or
anxiety? Why, I allowed you to be chloroformed within an inch of
eternity, before I found you."

"But you did find me," she cheered me. "And just to know that you are
doing all you can--"

"My poor best," I supplemented.

"It is very comforting to have a friend one can rely on," she finished,
and the little bit of kindness went to my head. If she had not got a
cinder in her eye at that psychological moment, I'm afraid I would
figuratively have trampled Wardrop underfoot, right there. As it was, I
got the cinder, after a great deal of looking into one beautiful
eye--which is not as satisfactory by half as looking into two--and then
we were at Bellwood.

We found Miss Letitia in the lower hall, and Heppie on her knees with a
hatchet. Between them sat a packing box, and they were having a spirited
discussion as to how it should be opened.

"Here, give it to me," Miss Letitia demanded, as we stopped in the
doorway. "You've got stove lengths there for two days if you don't chop
'em up into splinters."

With the hatchet poised in mid air she saw us, but she let it descend
with considerable accuracy nevertheless, and our greeting was made
between thumps.

"Come in"--thump--"like as not it's a mistake"--bang--"but the
expressage was prepaid. If it's mineral water--" crash. Something broke
inside.

"If it's mineral water," I said, "you'd better let me open it. Mineral
water is meant for internal use, and not for hall carpets." I got the
hatchet from her gradually. "I knew a case once where a bottle of hair
tonic was spilled on a rag