the thought flashed through her brain, the car door opened
and a man entered, when a thrill of pain went quivering through every
nerve, prickling to her very finger-tips.

A second glance showed her that it was a familiar form, and she almost
cried out with joy as she recognized Royal Bryant and realized that
she was--safe!

He saw her immediately and went directly to her, his gleaming eyes
telling a story from his heart which instantly sent the rich color to
her brow.

"Miss Allandale!" he exclaimed, in a low, eager tone, as he clasped
her outstretched hand. "I am more than glad to see you once again."

"Then you received my telegram," she said, with a sigh of relief.

"Yes, else I should not be here," he smilingly returned; "but I came
very near missing it. I was just on the point of leaving the office
when the messenger-boy brought it in. I suppose our advertisement is
to be thanked for your appearance in New York thus opportunely."

"Not wholly," Edith returned, with some embarrassment. "If it had been
that alone which called me here, I need not have telegraphed you. I
saw it only yesterday; but my chief reason for coming hither is that I
am a fugitive."

"A fugitive!" repeated her companion, in surprise. "Ah, yes, I
wondered a little over that word 'important' in your message. It
strikes me," he added, smiling significantly down upon her, "that you
left New York in very much the same manner." "Yes," she faltered,
flushing rosily.

"From whom and what were you fleeing, Edith? Surely not from one who
would have been only too glad to shield you from every ill?" said the
young man, in a tenderly reproachful tone, the import of which there
was no mistaking.

She shot one swift glance into his face and saw that his eyes were
luminous with the great love that was throbbing in his manly heart,
and with an inward start of exceeding joy she dropped her lids again,
but not before he had read in the look and the tell-tale flush that
flooded cheek, brow, and neck, that his affection was returned.

"I will forgive you, dear, if you will be kind to me in the future,"
he whispered, taking courage from her sweet shyness and bashfulness.
"And now tell me why you are a fugitive from Boston, for your telegram
was dated from that city."

Thus recalled to herself, and a realization of her cruel situation,
Edith shivered, and a deadly paleness banished the rosy blushes from
her cheeks.

"I will," she murmured, "I will te