and I--saw her, all unconscious
of the menacing Turks on Midway Plaisance. A soft, black glove with
long, wrinkled wrists, and a long, slim umbrella, tightly furled,
completed a charming picture of a New York girl par excellence.

As we left the house and I turned at the foot of the steps to lift my
hat to Miss Ross, looking after us from the doorway, she waved her
hand and sent me a significant glance, which I well understood. It
meant, 'Speak, and speak boldly.'

When we had entered at the Fifty-seventh Street gate, and were
crossing the bridge, I did speak, and boldly too, it seemed to me.

'Before we enter the hospital, Miss Jenrys,' I began, 'there is
something which I think you ought to know. I have not spoken of it in
your aunt's presence, because it is first and most your affair, to
make known or to withhold for a time. Will you sit in that arbour
where I first talked to yourself and Miss Ross? I see that it is
unoccupied, fortunately.'

She assented promptly, and when we had entered the Nebraska House
arbour, and were seated side by side upon the shadiest seat, she
turned toward me an expectant look, and silently waited my pleasure.
Her face was grave and somewhat paler than usual, but there rested in
her lovely eyes a look of fixed purpose, a clear, fine light as of
some decision, made after doubt and hesitation, in which she now
rested and felt strong.

She did not seem eager, as she sat beside me, only waiting, and her
mind evidently was 'far away ahead.'

I came promptly to the point.

'What I have to say, Miss Jenrys, concerns our friend whom we are
about to visit, as well as yourself.' She let her lashes droop, and
slightly bent her head. 'And it has been in my mind,' I went on, 'for
some time--in fact ever since I came to the conclusion that our friend
was, in truth, the Mr. Lossing whom you named in the letter I was so
bold as to read;' here she flushed hotly. 'And here permit me to say,
Miss Jenrys, that no man ever read his own mother's letter more
respectfully than I perused that letter of yours, searching through it
for the address of its writer. I hope you will believe me when I say
that I hesitated long, and put down the letter more than once, before
I ventured to give it a second glance, and that no eye save mine read
or saw one word of its contents while it remained in my possession.
When I met you first, and talked with you in this same spot, I wanted
to say this to you, but I saw that