, he must make his way a little first, and before he could do that,
who could tell what might have happened to Gertrude Baumhagen?

He bit his lip at the thought--the result was always the same. But was
a true heart nothing then, and a strong will? If the Judge were only
here so he could ask him--

During these thoughts he had lighted the lamp. There lay the card on
the table, which Aunt Rosalie had given him. "Arthur Fredericks." He
smiled as he thought of the little insignificant man to whom her sister
had given her heart, and he could not think of Gertrude as belonging to
him in any way. At last a return visit from him! And there were some
half effaced words written with a pencil.

"Very sorry not to have met you; hope you will come to a little supper
at our house the day after Christmas."

It was the first invitation to Gertrude's house. He wrote an acceptance
at once. Then he remembered that he had ordered the sleigh to go to the
city to do some errands there. He would send the hotel porter across
with the card.

CHAPTER V.

Christmas had passed and the last of the holidays had come with rain
and thaw; it stripped off the brilliant white snowy coverlid from the
earth as if it had been only a festal decoration, and the black earth
was good enough for ordinary days.

Mrs. Baumhagen was sitting in a peevish mood at the window in her room
looking out over the market-place. She had a slight headache, and
besides--there was nothing at all to do to-day, no theatre, no party,
not even the whist club, and yesterday at Jenny's it had been very
dull. Finally she was vexed with Gertrude who, contrary to all custom,
had talked eagerly to her neighbor at dinner, that stranger who had run
after her in the church that time.

It was foolish of the children to have placed him beside her.

"A letter, Mrs. Baumhagen." Sophie brought in a simple white envelope.

"Without any post-mark? Who left it?" she asked, looking at the
handwriting which was quite unknown to her.

"An old servant or coachman, I did not know him."

Mrs. Baumhagen shook her head as she took the letter and read it.

She rose suddenly, with a deep flush on her face, and called:

"Gertrude! Gertrude!"

The young girl came at once.

The active little woman had already rung the bell and said to Sophie as
she entered:

"Call Mrs. Fredericks and my son-in-law, tell them to come quickly,
quickly!--Gertrude, I must