ing dawned clear and beautiful. Over head, one unbroken
expanse of blue; under foot, a mantle of soft, white ermine. All the
trees were transformed into fairy-like, silver-robed, pearl-studded,
plume-adorned wonders. Diamonds floated in the air, and sunbeams
lighted up the whole with dazzling brilliancy. Everything was white,
pure, wonderful, and the whole enclosed in a monster chrysolite;
earth, air, and sky, were shut within a radiant sphere that had never
an outlet.

Madeline had passed an almost sleepless night. But when she arose,
with the first gleam of sunlight, and looked upon this new, white,
imprisoned world, she felt strong for a fresh day's battle.

"I must go out," she said to herself; "out into this sparkling air. I
can breathe in the brightness; I know I can. I almost feel as if I
could catch it, and weave it into my life."

She hastily donned her wraps and set off for a brisk walk, no matter
where, through that glorious Winter glow.

Under the snow-laden arms of the grand old trees, out of the grounds
of Oakley. Before she realized it she was half way down the path
leading to the village.

Something that jarred upon her sense of the beautiful, awakened her to
herself, and she turned suddenly about.

"How dare ugly little brown bears come out in the white glitter," she
muttered, whimsically. "I will turn about; he spoils the fairy
picture. I had forgotten there were boys, or men, in the world."

Something came panting behind her. The "brown bear" had accelerated
his pace, and now came up at a round trot.

"Hold on a minit; darned if I can see who ye air in this snow," he
cried, pausing before her and rubbing his eyes vigorously. "All right;
I thought it was you," he added, after considerable blinking. "I've
got a tellygram for ye, Miss Payne; orders were not to give it to
anyone but you, so I chased ye sharp."

Madeline laughed outright as she took the telegram from his hand. The
boy, without waiting for her words of thanks, took to his heels,
shouting back over his shoulder: "No answer!"

Madeline gazed for a moment after the flying figure, and wonderingly
opened the message. This is what she read:

Be at H----'s to-night when evening train comes down. We are
ready for action; have found a witness.

C. V.

Madeline lifted her eyes from the scrap of paper and looked about her
incredulously, as if she expected to find some explanation