will begin a new life.
Come, don't cry, my pet. Here's Debby."

Sylvia looked up, and threw herself into the faithful servant's arms.
"Oh, Debby, he loves me still; he's going to marry me whenever he can."

Deborah laughed and wiped Sylvia's tears away with her coarse apron,
tenderly. "You silly flower," she cried caressingly; "you foolish queen
of 'oney bees, of course he have you in his 'eart. You'll be bride and
I'll be bridesmaid, though not a pretty one, and all will be 'oney and
sunshine and gates of pearl, my beauty."

"Debby--I'm--I'm--so happy!"

Deborah placed her young mistress in Paul's arms. "Then let 'im make you
'appier, pretty lily of the valley. Lor', as if anything bad 'ud ever
come to you two while silly old Debby have a leg to stan' on an' arms to
wash. Though the laundry--oh, lor'!" and she rubbed her nose till it
grew scarlet, "what of it, Mr. Beecot, I do ask?"

"Have you enough money to pay a year's rent?"

"Yes, me and Bart have saved one 'undred between us. Rent and furniture
and taxes can come out of it, sure. And my washin's what I call
washin'," said Deborah, emphatically; "no lost buttings and tored sheets
and ragged collars. I'd wash ag'in the queen 'erself, tho' I ses it as
shouldn't. Give me a tub, and you'll see if the money don't come in."

"Well, then, Deborah, as I am too poor to marry Sylvia now, I want her
to stop with you till I can make a home for her."

"An' where else should she stop but with her own silly, foolish Debby,
I'd like to know? My flower, you come an' be queen of the laundry."

"I'll keep the accounts, Debby," said Sylvia, now all smiling.

"You'll keep nothin' but your color an' your dear 'eart up," retorted
Debby, sniffing; "me an' Bart 'ull do all. An' this blessed day we'll go
to Jubileetown with our belongings. And you, Mr. Beecot?"

"I'll come and see you settled, Deborah, and then I return to earn an
income for Sylvia. I won't let you keep her long."

"She'll stop as long as she have the will," shouted Debby, hugging
Sylvia; "as to that Krill cat--"

"She can take possession as soon as she likes. And, Deborah," added
Paul, significantly, "for all that has happened, I don't intend to drop
the search for your late master's murderer."

"It's the Krill cat as done it," said Debby, "though I ain't got no
reason for a-sayin' of such a think."

CHAPTER XIII

THE DETECTIVE'S VIEWS

As Paul expected, the next letter from his father containe