genially, her guilty tremor not escaping
his observation, but having at the same time no explicable
significance to him. "It's frisking around a mighty lone
sheepfold."

He touched the little bell at its throat, while Jennie stood there,
unable to speak. It tinkled feebly, and then he looked at her again.
His manner was so humorous that she could tell he suspected nothing.
However, it was almost impossible for her to recover her
self-possession.

"What's ailing you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

"You look as though a lamb was a terrible shock to you."

"I forgot to take it out from there, that was all," she went on
blindly.

"It looks as though it has been played with enough," he added more
seriously, and then seeing that the discussion was evidently painful
to her, he dropped it. The lamb had not furnished him the amusement
that he had expected.

Lester went back into the front room, stretched himself out and
thought it over. Why was she nervous? What was there about a toy to
make her grow pale? Surely there was no harm in her harboring some
youngster of the neighborhood when she was alone--having it come
in and play. Why should she be so nervous? He thought it over, but
could come to no conclusion.

Nothing more was said about the incident of the toy lamb. Time
might have wholly effaced the impression from Lester's memory had
nothing else intervened to arouse his suspicions; but a mishap of any
kind seems invariably to be linked with others which follow close upon
its heels.

One evening when Lester happened to be lingering about the flat
later than usual the door bell rang, and, Jennie being busy in the
kitchen, Lester went himself to open the door. He was greeted by a
middle-aged lady, who frowned very nervously upon him, and inquired in
broken Swedish accents for Jennie.

"Wait a moment," said Lester; and stepping to the rear door he
called her.

Jennie came, and seeing who the visitor was, she stepped nervously
out in the hall and closed the door after her. The action instantly
struck Lester as suspicious. He frowned and determined to inquire
thoroughly into the matter. A moment later Jennie reappeared. Her face
was white and her fingers seemed to be nervously seeking something to
seize upon.

"What's the trouble?" he inquired, the irritation he had felt the
moment before giving his voice a touch of gruffness.

"I've got to go out for a little while," she at last managed to
reply.

"