nd the awful loneliness of the hills. She didn't fear
nature even at its worst, and she knew these hills better than many who
had lived among them for years. She was bound to go, and she went.

This was six hours ago. Asked to explain the interest he had shown in
her, it soon became evident that he was in complete ignorance of her
identity. He had simply, on their first trip over, seen that she was
middle-aged, suffering and much too good and kind to be followed up by
enemies and wicked police officials. True, he had rowed them over in her
pursuit in the early part of the day, but that was because he had not
known their business. When on returning he had learned it, he made up
his mind to help her out with a warning even if it kept him up all night.
He had not expected to bring her back with him, but she had insisted upon
his doing so, saying that she had friends in the mountains who would look
after her. He saw that she was dreadfully in earnest, for she had not
stopped to get her hat and would not have had so much as an extra stitch
with her if she had not taken the precaution to hide a bag of things
somewhere in the bushes near the factory, in anticipation of some such
emergency. And he couldn't resist her. She made him think of a sister of
his who had had a dreadful time of it in the world and was now well out
of it, thank God!

When the ferryman heard that a reward of hundreds of dollars was waiting
for the man who succeeded in bringing her before the police officials in
New York, he betrayed some chagrin, but even this did not last. He was
soon declaring with heartfelt earnestness that he didn't care anything
about that. It was peace of mind he wanted, and not money.

When Mr. Gryce left him, it was with an even slower step than usual.
Peace of mind! How about his own peace of mind? Was he trailing this
poor unfortunate from pillar to post, for the reward it would bring him?
No. With his advancing years money had lost much of its attraction. Nor,
if he knew himself, was he particularly affected by the glory which
attends success. Duty, and duty only, drove him on--to elucidate his
problem and merit the confidence put in him by his superiors. If
suffering followed, that was not his fault; his business was to go ahead.

It was in this frame of mind that he prepared himself for the automobile
trip he saw before him.

There was no question in Mr. Gryce's mind now, as to this woman's
destination or whither he shoul