h he seemed to try so hard to maintain.
She would like to deserve his confidences. He aroused her sympathy--a
shy desire to be tender to him just because in his rugged strength
there seemed to be nothing else but this for which he could need a
woman. But as he glanced up she colored at the presumption of her
thoughts.

"I think," he said, "that if you are rested we had better start again."

She rose at once and took her place by his side for the last stretch of
free road that lay between her and the city.

At the station there was no sign of the fugitive. She objected
instantly to Donaldson's suggestion that she go on while he wait over
the night in the hope that Arsdale might turn up here for the first
train in the morning.

"You have already sacrificed enough of your time to me and mine," she
protested. "I will not listen to it."

And if she had been before her mirror doubtless the lady there would
have pressed her to another explanation.

He submitted reluctantly, a new doubt springing to his eyes. But she
was firm and so they boarded the train once more for home. She used
the word "home," and Donaldson found himself responding to it with a
thrill as though he himself were included. The word had lost its
meaning to him since his freshman year at college.

They were back behind the hedge in so short a time that the day
scarcely appeared real. She left him a moment in the hall while she
ran upstairs to see Marie. The latter was still in bed, and at sight
of her young mistress had a sharp question upon her lips.

"Cherie," she demanded, "why did not Ben go with you?"

"Ben?" faltered the girl.

"He was downstairs an hour after you left and would not come in to see
me."

"Ben was here?"

"I shouted to him and he answered me. But his voice sounded bad. Is
it well with him?"

"He may be here now. I will run down and see."

She flew down the stairs and into his room. It was empty. She rushed
into her own room. It had been rifled. Every drawer was open, and it
took but a glance to see that her few jewels were missing. She panted
back to Marie.

"You are sure it was he who was here?"

"Do you think I do not know his voice after all these years?"

The old woman put out her hand and seized the girl's arm.

"Again?" she demanded.

"Yes! Yes! Oh, Marie, what does it all mean?"

"Ta, ta, cherie. Rest your head here."

She drew the young woman down beside her.

"You went out there a