tur's--Why, what?"

The vagrant had been seized by a violent fit of coughing, so fierce that
it threatened hemorrhage; and Susanna's wrath died.

"Consumption!" she whispered to Eunice, and shivered. It was of
consumption "Spriggs, he" had died.

The paroxysm passed and left its victim exhausted. With a longing for
rest, he tottered out of the kitchen into the lean-to, but not to wash
as its owner had suggested. He went directly to the now uncovered
manhole of the cistern and slowly descended a short ladder which
protruded from it and had always hitherto hung upon the wall. The women
watched him in astonishment, then Susanna hastily procured a candle,
and, lighting it, held it above the opening.

As she had herself once said, the cistern was as dry as possible, and
was in reality like a low-ceilinged little room, with the manhole for
sky-light. Into this place the vagrant had tossed the missing bedding,
and with his habit of hiding had bestowed himself upon it. In all
probability, he had rarely occupied so snug and comfortable, though
peculiar, a bedchamber.

"My--s-u-z!" gasped the widow, and sat down on a wash-bench to recover
from her amazement.

Miss Maitland said nothing, yet an expression of great satisfaction
settled upon her countenance, and, motioning her friend back into the
kitchen, explained its cause.

"Nathan himself has decided what should best be done with him. He is
perfectly safe and comfortable in that cistern. It is warm and
sufficiently aired. He will not be apt to build a fire, as you feared,
especially if we see to it that he has enough to eat. Nobody will think
of looking for him in such a place, even though, as he declared he
should, his father organizes a search for him. Unhappy father, if he
does, and--poor, unhappy son. He looks very ill, and he certainly is no
more intelligent than when he went away. But he is evidently faithful to
Verplanck Sturtevant, as he always was. It is he that has brought back
and for safe-keeping, presumably, hidden the brass bound box that
Katharine found, and that has led to so many wild rumors. Do you not
think we would better leave him undisturbed for the present, until I can
secure better clothing for him? Also, can decide that awful
question--whether or not to tell Elinor the stolen box is found. It will
be like deliberately trying to break her heart over again if I give it
to her and it is empty. Yet, it is not mine, and it rests on my
conscience lik