. She continued placid and outwardly
cheerful. Whatever threatened in the immediate future, she
determined to meet it with as much composure as she could summon.

Nobody but Sheila Macklin knew wholly what she had endured since
leaving her childhood's home. When Tunis Latham had come so
dramatically into her life she had been almost at the limit of her
endurance. To him, even, she had not confessed all her miseries. To
escape from them she would have embraced a much more desperate
expedient than posing as Ida May Bostwick.

The ethics of the situation had not really impressed her at first.
The desire to get away from her unfortunate environment, from the
city itself, and to go where nobody knew her history, not even her
name, was the main thought at that time in the girl's mind. Tunis
Latham's confident assurances that she would be accepted without
question by Cap'n Ball and Prudence caused her to put aside all fear
of consequences at the moment. It was a desperate stroke, but she
had been in desperate need, and she had carried the matter through
boldly.

Now that she seemed so securely established in the Ball household
and was accepted by all the community of Big Wreck Cove as the real
Ida May, it seemed foolish to give way to anxiety. Discovery of the
imposture was remote.

Yet, as she had hinted to Tunis, she had an undercurrent of
feeling--a more-than-faint apprehension--that all was not right.
Something was lurking in the shadows of the future which menaced
their peace and security.

She was ever mindful of the fact that Tunis had gone sponsor for her
identity as Ida May. Should her imposture be revealed, her first
duty would be to protect him. How could she do this? What tale could
she concoct to make it seem that he was as much duped as were Cap'n
Ball and Prudence?

This seemed impossible. She saw no way out. He had met the real Ida
May Bostwick, and then had deliberately introduced Sheila Macklin as
the girl he had been sent for! If the truth were revealed, what
explanation could be offered?

Had she allowed her mind to dwell upon this phase of the affair she
would surely have revealed to those about her, unobservant as they
might be, that she had a secret cause for worry. She must drive it
into the back of her mind--ignore it utterly.

And this she did on this beautiful Sabbath morning. When Tunis came
up to the Head to accompany the Balls to church--Aunt Lucretia did
not attend service on this day