ather?" The reply evidently both surprised and discomposed Mr.
Starkweather. "I do not understand. Your--your father is dead----"

"Yes, sir. It was just before he died."

"And he told you to come here to--to _us_?"

"Yes, sir."

"But why?" demanded the gentleman with some warmth.

"Dad said as how you folks lived nice, and knew all about refinement and
eddication and all that. He wanted me to have a better chance than what I
could get on the ranch."

Mr. Starkweather glared at her in amazement. He was not at all a
kind-hearted man; but he was very cowardly. He had feared her answer would
be quite different from this, and now took courage.

"Do you mean to say that merely this expressed wish that you might live
at--ahem!--at my expense, and as my daughters live, brought you here to
New York?"

"That begun it, Uncle," said Helen, coolly.

"Preposterous! What could Prince Morrell be thinking of? Why should I
support you, Miss?"

"Why, that don't matter so much," remarked Helen, calmly. "I can earn my
keep, I reckon. If there's nothing to do in the house I'll go and find me
a job and pay my board. But, you see, dad thought I ought to have the
refining influences of city life. Good idea; eh?"

"A very ridiculous idea! A very ridiculous idea, indeed!" cried Mr.
Starkweather. "I never heard the like."

"Well, you see, there's another reason why I came, too, Uncle," Helen
said, blandly.

"What's that?" demanded the gentleman, startled again.

"Why, dad told me everything when he died. He--he told me how he got into
trouble before he left New York--'way back there before I was born," spoke
Helen, softly. "It troubled dad all his life, Uncle Starkweather.
Especially after mother died. He feared he had not done right by her and
me, after all, in running away when he was not guilty----"

"Not guilty!"

"Not guilty," repeated Helen, sternly. "Of course, we all know _that_.
Somebody got all that money the firm had in bank; but it was not my
father, sir."

She gazed straight into the face of Mr. Starkweather. He did not seem to
be willing to look at her in return; nor could he pluck up the courage to
deny her statement.

"I see," he finally murmured.

"That is the second reason that has brought me to New York," said Helen,
more softly. "And it is the more important reason. If you don't care to
have me here, Uncle, I will find work that will support me, and live
elsewhere. But I _must_ learn the truth about th