wrote you?" she trembled.

"He told me he had recovered his sight. He told me he was going."

What else had he told? Dizzily she waited. For the first time in her
life, she felt as if she might faint. That would be such a silly thing
to do!

"He said he was going home--out of your life."

Peter had told Monte that! What else had he told?

He paused a moment, as if expecting her to make some reply. There, was
nothing she could say.

"It was n't what I expected," he went on.

What else had Peter told him?

"Was n't there any other way?" he asked.

"I did n't send him home. He--he chose to go," she said.

"Because it was n't any use for him to remain?"

"I told him the truth," she nodded.

"And he took it like a man!" exclaimed Monte enthusiastically. "I 'd
like to show you his letter, only I don't know that it would be quite
fair to him."

"I don't want to see it," she cut in. "I--I know I should n't."

What else besides his going had Peter told Monte?

"It was his letter that brought me back," he said.

She held her breath. She had warned Peter that if he as much as hinted
at anything that she had confessed to him, she would lie to Monte. So
she should--but God forbid that this added humiliation be brought upon
her.

"You see, when I went I expected that he would be left to care for you.
With him and his sister here, I knew you would n't be alone. I thought
they'd stay, or if they went--you'd go with them."

"But why should n't I be alone?" she gathered strength to ask.

"Because," he answered quickly, "it is n't good for you. It is n't
good for any one. Besides, it is n't right. When we were married I
made certain promises, and those hold good until we're unmarried."

"Monte!" she cried.

"As long as Peter was around, that was one thing; now that he's gone--"

"It throws me back on your hands," she interrupted, in an attempt to
assert herself. "Please to sit down. You're making your old mistake
of trying to be serious. There's not the slightest reason in the world
why you should bother about me like this."

She ventured to look at him again. His brows were drawn together in a
puzzled frown. Dear Monte--it was cruel of her to confuse him like
this, when he was trying to see straight. He looked so very woe-begone
when he looked troubled at all.

"It--it is n't any bother," he stammered.

"I should think it was a good deal," she answered, feeling for a moment
that she ha