ight
of this new knowledge, he could see many things. He shuddered when he
thought of Tessibel. He and his were in the squatter girl's power. What
mercy could he or Madelene expect at her hands? The shame and disgrace
would kill his sister. Had the Skinner girl come to his house to claim
her husband?

At that moment, he heard Mrs. Graves' step on the stairs. He turned,
intending to ask Frederick not to tell Madelene of his secret marriage,
but quickly changed his mind. Frederick was too ill; the first thing was
to relieve his suffering.

"Get some water," the elder commanded when she appeared in the doorway.
"Fred's sick."

Madelene dropped the armful of clothes she held and fled to obey. When
she came back, the young wife tenderly ministered to the dying man.
Never before had he seemed so dear!

"I think we'd better call a doctor," said Ebenezer, and he went out.

For a moment, he felt impelled to go to his wife, to tell her how sorry
he was for all his ugly moods. He blamed himself bitterly for Elsie's
disappearance. If her mother had been home, the little girl would not
have gone away.

In the servant's quarters, he gave orders that a doctor should be sent
for. As he came back to the reception hall, he saw Helen looking down up
him,--and she was smiling. How could she smile when the world was no
longer glad, no longer beautiful? But a few hours before he had left her
in tears, almost insane. Now she stood quietly, happily, as if joy
unlimited were hers.

Mrs. Waldstricker placed her fingers on her lips.

"Come up, dear heart," she whispered.

Ebenezer mounted the stairs.

"I'm so miserable, Helen," he said. "I don't know what to say."

Helen stood on tiptoe and put one arm around his neck. She drew the
massive head down and pressed her face to her husband's cheek.

"I don't think there's anything much to say," she said softly, "but to
thank her for bringing her back."

Waldstricker straightened himself impatiently.

"Brought who back?" he demanded. "What do you mean? My God, Helen, the
whole house has gone mad."

"Didn't you see Tessibel in the library?" Helen asked. "She--"

"Well, I should say I did," Ebenezer snorted, "and I cleared her out of
there. How dare the impudent huzzy come to my house?"

"Great Heavens! Ebenezer!" exclaimed Helen. "She carried Elsie all the
way from the lake!"

When these words fell upon Waldstricker's ears, he couldn't comprehend
their import entirely. Elsie was