f the news
and left Jake Ransom with an understanding of him which words could never
have given.

As soon as Elizabeth could get control of her feelings and command her
scattered senses, she snatched her bonnet from the chair beside the bed
where she had dropped it before dinner and flew to the dining room again,
her one impulse to get to the side of the friend whose spirit had gone
from her. Going to Silas, she clutched him by the arm with fingers that
sank into the flesh like a vise.

"Take me to her!--take me now!" she cried, pushing him toward the door.

"I'll take you, Elizabeth," John Hunter said, rising, and Jake Ransom saw
the look of nameless horror she took on at thought of her husband's
presence.

"Take me to her at once, Mr. Chamberlain. Do, for God's sake, take me to
her!" she cried, and pulled the old man through the door with nervous
hands, and then ran down the path before him and began to pull at the
straps with which the horses were tied.

John followed them out, still protesting that he would take her himself if
she would wait, but without a look in his direction she urged Silas on.

"Hurry! Hurry! Do!" she implored, and Silas gave the horses such a sharp
slap with the lines that they started on a swift trot almost before they
were seated, leaving John Hunter in the midst of his expostulations.

"I'll bring her back safe," Silas called over his shoulder.

Now that no further action was possible, Elizabeth sat with her hands
clasped, her teeth set, and her eyes looking into vacancy, numbed beyond
words, asking no questions and making no complaints. Silas's heart beat
with an anguish of sympathy. He stopped at his own house a moment to tell
Liza Ann that he would come back for her within the hour, and still
Elizabeth gave no sign of realizing what was going on about her.

At last a terrible thought took hold of Silas, and he pulled up his team,
which was sweating heavily.

"You ain't fit t' go, Lizzie. You ain't fit t' go, child. I'm goin' t'
take you back home." He began to turn the horses' heads toward home, and
then stopped for her wandering wits to gather.

"Why, oh, why don't you hurry?" Elizabeth exclaimed when she realized that
they were standing still.

The old man's heart was torn with pity, and it was in the voice of a
mother that he addressed her.

"You ain't fit t' go," he repeated. "I'm going t' take you back home."
There was a white look about her mouth that frightened him.