dingly very great.

The next morning she was waited upon by a French _modiste_, who seemed
to know just what she required, and a few days later, half a dozen
dresses, so gorgeous that they fairly took Jessie Bain's breath away,
were sent up to her.

She tried to explain to Margaret, who had settled down into a strange
and unaccountable apathy, all about her wonderful good luck; but she
answered her with only vacant monosyllables. And knowing that part of
the truth must be told sooner or later, Jessie was forced to admit to
Mrs. Tracy that Margaret had lost her reason, but that she was by no
means harmful.

"That is no secret to me," responded Mrs. Tracy. "Every one in the
boarding-house thought that from the first day you came here, though you
tried hard to hide her malady from us. And I repeat my offer, that you
can leave your sister in my charge, and I will do my very best for her.
Let me tell you why," she added, in a low voice. "I had a daughter of my
own once who looked very like your sister Margaret. She lost her reason
because of an unhappy love affair, and she drooped and died. For her
sake my heart bleeds with pity for any young girl whose reason has been
dethroned. God help her!"

So it was settled that Margaret was to remain with Mrs. Tracy.

"After a few rehearsals you will get to know what you have got to do,
quite well," said Manager Morgan, as he handed Jessie her part to learn.
"Our company has been called together very hurriedly. We expected that
it would be fully a month later ere rehearsals would begin and our
members be called together. I have the same people who were with me last
year, all save the young lady whose place you take, and they are all
well up in their parts and don't need rehearsals. We go out on the road
in one week more. I shall have to coach you in your part."

The handsome Mr. Morgan made himself most agreeable during those days of
rehearsal, and if Jessie Bain's heart had not been entirely frozen by
the frost of that earlier love for Hubert Varrick, which had come to
such a bitter ending, she might have fancied this handsome, dandified
manager.

The company were to open their season at Albany, and at last the day
arrived for Mr. Morgan and Jessie to start.

There was to be just one rehearsal the following forenoon, and the next
evening the play was to be produced.

It was a bitter trial for Jessie to leave Margaret alone there; but the
bitterest blow of all was that she