awaiting her. As her mind cleared, the mental atmosphere clouded.

Did not any hope which imagination held out mean the cruel revenge of
her jailer? Could she betray her father as he had betrayed her?

She dressed and went downstairs to help Mrs. Carder. The precious letter
was against her breast.

Pete was washing at the pump. She did not dare approach him to speak;
but she soon found that as to that opportunities would be plentiful; for
whenever she left the house she had a respectful shadow; never close,
but always in the vicinity, and remembering yesterday and the lawn-mower
she now realized that the watchdog who guarded her by night had orders
to perform the same office by day.

Rufus felt some relief at seeing his guest appear this morning. His
dreams would have been pleasanter had he been perfectly sure that she
would not in her youthful horror and despair evade him in the one way
possible. He bade her good-morning with an inoffensive commonplace. He
had shot his bolt; now his policy must be soothing and unexacting until
her fear of him had abated and custom had reconciled her to her new
life. She was silent at breakfast, speaking only when spoken to, and
observant of his mother's needs; waiting upon him, too, when it was
necessary.

"I must get one o' these reclinin'-chairs for you, Geraldine," he said,
"and put it out under the elm tree. Your elm tree, we'll have to call
it, because you've saved its life, you know."

"It is nice that there is one bit of shade here," she replied. "I
suppose you hang a hammock there in summer for your mother."

Rufus grinned at his parent, who was vastly uncomfortable under the new
regime of being waited upon by a golden-haired beauty.

"How about it, Ma?" he said. "Did you ever lie down in a hammock in your
life? Got to do it now, you know. Bay windows and hammocks belong
together. We got to be stylish now this little girl's goin' to boss us.

"It's a sightly day, Geraldine. How would you like to go for a drive and
see somethin' of the country around here? It's mighty pretty. You seem
stuck on trees. I'll show you a wood road that's a wonder."

Geraldine cringed, but controlled herself. Renewed contact with Rufus
was inexorably crushing every reviving hope of the night.

"I think it would be a refreshing thing for your mother," she answered.

"No, no, indeed!" exclaimed the old woman, with an anxious look at her
son. "I'm scared of autos. I don't want to go."

"W