u see the drawer-in bein' in the
far room comes out last."

The last one passed out. The mill became silent, and yet Helen did
not appear.

The old nurse arose impatiently: "I reck'n I'll go find her," she
said to Carpenter.

"I'd better sho' you the way, old 'oman," he said, lazily shuffling
off the stool he was sitting on pretending to be reading a
paper--"you'll never fin' the room by yo'self."

He led her along through the main room, hot, lint-filled and
evil-smelling. It was quite dark. Then to the rear, where the mill
jutted on the side of a hill, he stopped in front of a door and said:
"This is her room; she's in there, I reckin--she's gen'ly late."

With quickening heart the old woman entered and, almost immediately,
she heard the door behind her shut and the key turn in the bolt. The
room was empty and she sprang back to the door, only to find it
securely locked, and to hear Jud Carpenter's jeers from without. She
ran to the two small windows. They were high and looked out over a
ravine.

She did not utter a word. Reared as she had been among the Conways,
she was too well bred to act the coward, and beg and plead in
undignified tones for relief. At first she thought it was only a
cruel joke of the Whipper-in, but when he spoke, she saw it was not.

"Got you where I want you, Mother of Zion," he said through the key
hole. "I guess you are safe there till mornin' unless the Angel of
the Lord opens the do' as they say he has a way of doin' for
Saints--ha--ha--ha!"

No word from within.

"Wanter kno' what I shet you up for, Mother of all Holiness? Well,
listen: It's to keep you there till to-morrow--that's good reason,
ain't it? You'll find a lot of cotton in the fur corner--a mighty
good thing for a bed. Can't you talk? How do you like it? I guess you
ain't so independent now."

There was a pause. The old woman sat numbly in Helen's chair. She saw
a bunch of violets in her frame, and the odor brought back memories
of her old home. A great fear began to creep over her--not for
herself, but for Helen, and she fell on her knees by the frame and
prayed silently.

Jud's voice came again: "Want to kno' now why you'll stay there till
mornin'? Well, I'll tell you--it'll make you pass a com'f'table
night--you'll never see Miss Helen ag'in--"

The old nurse sprang to her feet. She lost control of herself, for
all day she had felt this queer presentiment, and now was it really
true? She blamed herself for n