with a certain amount of politeness.

"There's a letter for you," said Morley, "but if you will take my advice
you will leave it until breakfast is over. I never read mine until after
a meal. Bad news is so apt to spoil one's appetite."

"How do you know the news will be bad?" asked Daisy.

"Most news is," replied Morley, with a shade on his usually merry face.
"Debts, duns, and difficulties!" and he looked ruefully at the pile of
letters by his plate. "I haven't examined my correspondence yet."

Anne said nothing, as she was thinking of what arrangement she could
make to get away. Suddenly she and the others were startled by a cry
from Daisy. The girl had opened the letter and was staring at it with a
pale face. Anne half rose from her seat, but Mrs. Morley anticipated
her, and ran round to put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Daisy, what
is the matter?"

"The--the--letter!" gasped Daisy, with chattering teeth. Then she cast a
look full of terror at the astonished Anne. "She will kill me," cried
the girl, and fell off the chair in a faint.

Morley hastily snatched up the letter. It was unsigned, and apparently
written in an uneducated hand on common paper. He read it out hurriedly,
while Anne and Mrs. Morley stood amazed to hear its contents.

"'Honored Miss,'" read Morley slowly, "'this is from a well-wisher to
say that you must not trust the governess, who will kill you, because of
G. W. and the Scarlet Cross.'"

Anne uttered a cry and sank back into her chair white as the snow out of
doors. "The Scarlet Cross," she murmured, "again the Scarlet Cross."

CHAPTER III

A MYSTERIOUS VISITOR

Later in the day Mr. Morley called the three women into his library to
have a discussion regarding the strange letter and its stranger
accusation. Daisy had recovered from her faint, but was still pale and
obviously afraid of Anne. The governess appeared perfectly composed, but
her white face was as hard as granite. Both Morley and his wife were
much disturbed, as was natural, especially as at the moment Anne had
refused any explanation. Now Morley was bent on forcing her to speak out
and set Daisy's mind at rest. The state of the girl was pitiable.

The library was a large square apartment, with three French windows
opening on to a terrace, whence steps led down to a garden laid out in
the stiff Dutch style. The room was sombre with oak and heavy red velvet
hangings, but rendered more cheerful by books, photogr