it might in all probability be removed, and your master
restored to himself," he said confidentially to the clever Franklin, who
rejoiced exceedingly at this little ray of hope in the darkness of his
master's fate.

But realizing the deep interest Mrs. Ellsworth had in preventing Love's
restoration to reason, they knew it was useless to tell her of the new
discovery with any hope of her consent to having any experiment tried on
her step-son.

Nothing remained to them but strategy, and they resorted to its use with
flattering success.

Mrs. Ellsworth had had so many triumphs, that she regarded this one as
only her due--a reward of her clever plotting, as it were.

The removal of Love to a sanitarium would be a great relief to her mind;
and she jumped at the proposition with alacrity, even twitting the old
doctor with her superior judgment.

"I told you all along that you were foolish ever to expect his recovery,
and you see I was right."

"The women are always right," he replied, gallantly, in his joy at
having gained his point.

So armed with a liberal check from her hand, the old doctor and Franklin
journeyed to New York with the patient, in the hope of restoring his
wrecked mind and of righting a great wrong.

For, removed from the influence of Mrs. Ellsworth's threat, the faithful
servant decided that he would keep silence no longer. He confided to
Doctor Platt the pathetic story of Dainty's return to Ellsworth, her
claim to be Love's wife, her banishment by her wicked aunt, the wrong
that Olive and Ela had attempted, and lastly, how, at the peril of his
own life, he had rescued the poor girl from the burning cabin, and sent
her away secretly to Richmond.

Doctor Platt listened aghast to these startling disclosures, and said,
angrily:

"You should not have been intimidated by that wicked woman's threats,
for such crimes as hers and her nieces' should be proclaimed from the
house-tops, and punished as they deserve. I would give anything I own if
you had brought that worse than widowed bride to me and given me the
task of righting her cruel wrongs."

"She is no doubt safe with her mother, and your help now will be as
welcome as it would have been last fall," replied Franklin, consolingly.
So they postponed the search for the girl, who was presumably safe in
Richmond, until after they had taken Lovelace to the New York doctors
for treatment.

By the middle of April they met with a reward of their labors