articular
accusation against Mrs. Howard from anybody except Lewis.

"But people say she is mad and never will see strangers. And we have
looked at her over the wall, so we know something about it," she
persisted.

"And you saw a very delicate-looking old lady tottering along and
nodding her head? Just so. Now listen to me. Many years ago poor
Mrs. Howard had a very serious illness, which left her with some
disease of the nerves so that she cannot keep her head still for a
moment. Ever since then she has shut herself up and avoided seeing
strangers, as she is very shy about her infirmity being noticed. And I
must say," concluded Captain West, "that I am vexed to think my
children should have tried to pry into what did not in the least
concern them."

"I am sorry we looked at her, if that is the reason she nodded so
funnily to the cows," said Madge. "But were not any of the stories
Lewis told us true? About the cellars, and the jailer with the gray
beard?"

"I cannot tell you anything definite about Mrs. Howard's cellars,
except that, judging by the size of the house, they must be very
small," answered Captain West. "But this I know for a fact. The boy
Lewis Brand is an orphan with no money of his own, and Mrs. Howard
being an old friend of his parents generously offered to adopt him and
bring him up. Unfortunately, owing to his mother's long illness, Lewis
was very much neglected as a child, and got into such bad habits that
he has been nothing but an anxiety to his kind friend from the first.
He has already been expelled from two schools, and Mrs. Howard is at
present trying to educate him at home with a tutor--that gentleman with
the gray beard you saw."

"Well, I never heard of such a horrid story-telling boy!" exclaimed
Madge impetuously. "And so ungrateful too! But why should he have
told such dreadful untruths about Mrs. Howard?"

"To frighten you, I expect," replied Captain West. "The reason they
would not keep him at school was because he would tease and frighten
the younger boys. He seems a born bully."

"And a great coward into the bargain!" added Madge. "You should have
seen how frightened--"

"I dare say!" interrupted her father. "The two things generally go
together. His only excuse is that he was badly trained when young.
However, you will probably admit that in future it will be wiser to let
us choose your friends for you?"

The children had no answer to make. They were tho