d me," she sobbed. "I wish
I had never been born, then I could never have spoiled Rex's life. But
I am leaving you, my love, my darling, so you can marry Pluma, the
heiress. You will forget me and be happy."

Poor little, neglected, unloved bride, so fair, so young, so fragile,
out alone facing the dark terrors of the night, fleeing from the young
husband who was wearing his life out in grief for her. Ah, if the
gentle winds sighing above her, or the solemn, nodding trees had only
told her, how different her life might have been!

"No one has ever loved me but poor old Uncle John!" She bent her fair
young head and cried out to Heaven: "Why has no mercy been shown to
me? I have never done one wrong, yet I am so sorely tried. Oh, mother,
mother!" she cried, raising her blue eyes up to the starry sky, "if
you could have foreseen the dark, cruel shadows that would have folded
their pitiless wings over the head of your child, would you not have
taken me with you down into the depths of the seething waters?" She
raised up her white hands pleadingly as though she would fain pierce
with her wrongs the blue skies, and reach the great White Throne. "I
must be going mad," she said. "Why did Rex seek me out?" she cried, in
anguish. "Why did Heaven let me love him so madly, and my whole life
be darkened by living apart from him if I am to live? I had no thought
of suffering and sorrow when I met him that summer morning. Are the
summer days to pass and never bring him? Are the flowers to bloom, the
sun to shine, the years to come and go, yet never bring him once to
me? I can not bear it--I do not know how to live!"

If she could only see poor old, faithful John Brooks again she would
kneel at his feet just as she had done when she was a little child,
lay her weary head down on his toil-hardened hand, tell him how she
had suffered, and ask him how she could die and end it all.

She longed so hungrily for some one to caress her, murmuring tender
words over her. She could almost hear his voice saying as she told
him her pitiful story: "Come to my arms, pet, my poor little trampled
Daisy! You shall never want for some one to love you while poor old
Uncle John lives. Bless your dear little heart!"

The longing was strongly upon her. No one would recognize her--she
_must_ go and see poor old John. She never thought what would become
of her life after that.

At the station she asked for a ticket for Allendale. No one seemed to
know o