ply put Dainty to bed, and
while she was getting breakfast, brewed a decoction of herbs, which she
said would do her a world of good.

Meanwhile, she gladdened the drummer's heart by a delicious breakfast of
broiled mountain trout, country ham, fresh butter, sweet corn pone, and
strong coffee with thick cream, and he presently went on his way
rejoicing after his night in the camp, and expressing the hope that the
lovely stranger would soon be well again and restored to her friends.

But those cordial hopes did not seem likely of fulfilment soon, for
Dainty continued quite ill for weeks in the lonely logging camp; and, to
the surprise of the loggers, none of her friends came in search of her,
and no inquiry was made for a missing sick girl.

In the stupor of her fever, she continued for weeks to be unconscious of
her surroundings, and the busy, stolid family, who cared for her, did
not think it their business to seek out her friends. They simply
accepted the duty of caring for her as Heaven-sent, and left the rest
to a gracious Providence.

As for Mrs. Ellsworth, she was struck with consternation when no dead
body was found the next morning where Sheila had placed it beneath the
tree; but on viewing the swollen, brawling stream, she concluded that it
must have swept Dainty's corpse away during the storm, and she lived in
daily expectation of its discovery, and the great sensation it would
create in the neighborhood.

Thus the summer days passed away, bringing the bright cool September
weather, and still the waters did not give up their beautiful dead; but
no search was made for Dainty, though Lovelace Ellsworth had astonished
his doctors and disappointed his step-mother by clinging to life in
spite of his grievous hurt, and was now on the road to recovery, so that
the trial of Vernon Ashley for his attempted murder soon took place, and
the prisoner received sentence of a term of years in the penitentiary.

Olive and Ela were now domesticated at Ellsworth as the acknowledged
heiresses of their aunt, who, by the failure of her step-son to marry on
his twenty-sixth birthday, now claimed to be the mistress of his wealth,
and took credit to herself for her charitable spirit in caring for the
unhappy invalid, who was now fast regaining health and strength.

As for Mrs. Chase, she had been virtually driven from Ellsworth by the
caprices of the two proud, heartless girls who had received so much
kindness at her hands in t