he world, and had started out
to battle for bread, none knew whither.

The shock of this intelligence nearly killed Hubert Varrick. He almost
moved heaven and earth to find her; but every effort was useless; Jessie
Bain seemed to have suddenly vanished from the face of the earth.

Hubert had been with his grandparents but a day when he felt strongly
tempted to make excuses to get away at once; but before the shadows of
that night fell, an event happened which changed the whole current of
his life.

It came about in this way:

When he excused himself for leaving the drawing-room late that
afternoon, under the plea of smoking a cigar and having letters to
write, Rosamond, much incensed, had retired to her own _boudoir_, for
she felt that she had made no headway with the handsome young heir.
There was no one else to vent her spite on, save the young girl whom she
found bending patiently over her dresses, stitching away as though for
dear life.

"Why don't you sew faster?" Rosamond cried at length. "You will never
get that done in time for me to wear this evening."

"I promise you, Miss Rosamond, that I will have it finished if the
velvet ribbon comes in time."

"Hasn't it come yet?" cried the beauty, aghast. "Why, it's almost dark
now. There's nothing else for it but for you to go after it, Jessie
Bain; and mind that you get there before the store closes. Start at
once."

Jessie laid down her work, walked slowly to the closet, and donned her
hat and little jacket. After carefully learning the street and number,
Jessie set out on her journey. It was fully two miles. The girl's heart
sank as she stepped from the porch, and noted how deep the snow was.
She wished that the heiress had given her her fare on the street-car;
but such a thought had never entered the selfish head of this pampered
creature of luxury.

Half an hour or more had passed. Long since one of the servants had
lighted the chandelier, heaped more coal in the glowing grate, and drew
the satin draperies over the frosty windows.

"Dear me, I wish I had told her to get a few flowers for me!" Rosamond
muttered. Then she sat up straight in her chair. "Gracious me! how
forgetful I am," she cried. "That velvet ribbon did come just as I was
about to go down to luncheon, and I tossed it on a divan in the corner.
It must be there now."

Springing from her seat, she went to the spot indicated. Yes, the little
package was there.

"That Jessie Bain must ha