.

Farvel seemed suddenly to waken. He shook a pointed finger. "You knew
she was alive!" he declared.

"He didn't! He did not!" Again Clare was fiercely on the defense.

"No! On my honor!" vowed Wallace.

Sue made a warning gesture. "Listen, everybody," she cautioned.
"Suppose we go back to the Rectory." And to Clare, "You and Mr. Farvel
can talk with more privacy there."

A quick hand touched her. "Susan," whispered Mrs. Milo.

She had support in her protest. "_I'm_ not going back to any Rectory,"
Clare asserted.

"Back?" repeated Farvel, astonished. "_Back_? Then you--you were the
soloist?"

"Yes.--Oh, _why_ did I go! Why didn't I ever find out! Milo--it isn't
a common name. And I might have known! I'm a fool! A fool! But I
needed the engagement. And I'd been there before, and I thought it was
all right."

"What has 'Milo' to do with it?" asked Sue.

"This--this: I knew that Wallace knew Alan. So--so when I saw Wallace
there, I was sure Alan was there. And I left. That's all." She went
back to the chair by the table and sat.

"You walked right into my house!" marveled Farvel; "--after all the
years I've searched for you!"

"Ha! ha!--Just my luck!" She crossed her feet and folded her arms.

There was a pause.

Wallace was plainly in misery, at times holding his breath, again
almost blowing, like a man after a run. He shifted uneasily. The
sweat stood out on his white temples, and he brushed the drops into his
hair.

Of a sudden, Farvel turned to him. "Why didn't you tell me it was
Laura?" he demanded. "You saw her there--you came here--why didn't you
ask me to come?"

"Well," faltered Wallace, "I--I don't know why I didn't. I'm sorry.
It was just--just----" His voice seemed to go from him. He swallowed.

Now, Farvel's manner changed. His face darkened, and grew stern.
"There's something here that I don't understand," he said, angrily.

Clare sprang up. "Oh, drop it, will you?" she asked rudely; "--before
all this crowd."

Farvel turned on her fiercely. "No, I won't drop it! I want this
thing cleared up!" And to Wallace again, "For ten years you know how
I've searched. And in the beginning, you know better than anyone else
in the whole world how I suffered. And yet today, when you found
Laura, you failed to tell me--_me_, of _all_ persons!" His voice rose
to a shout. "Why, it's monstrous!"

"And I want this thing cleared up, too," put in Balcome. "Wallac