were
nothing more than that! There are reverses far harder to bear than
financial ones."

Her father appeared older than she had ever seen him. Dejection showed
through every line of his haggard face. The side-whiskers, which to his
daughter's mind he had worn with great distinction, now gave to his worn
features a grotesque expression.

"I feel pretty well worn out to-night, my dear,"--weariness was in every
word he uttered,--"and as if I need some one to lean on. If I did not
need you to help me, I should not be bothering you at this hour of the
night."

The girl drew before her father's chair the footstool which earlier in
the evening she had kicked into a far corner. She sat at his knee, and,
taking his hand in hers, pressed it against her cheek. For some time
they sat thus in silence. Her father broke in on the quietness of the
room with a peculiar question.

"The Bible tells us that we should love our enemies, doesn't it, Beth?"

"But, Father, you have no enemies worth worrying about! Why should you
ask such a question?"

"They may not be worth worrying about, but as I said before I don't seem
able to fight off worry as I once could."

"Nonsense! When all this blows over you will see where you have been
very foolish to have worried in the least bit. You are not strong, and
everything appears worse than it really is."

"I don't know about that, my dear. I'm not so certain, either, that my
enemies are not worth worrying about."

"Of course they're not. Just think how all the people have honored you
for what you have done for Little River. Your gifts will not be so
quickly forgotten that a total stranger can change the feeling of
respect for you among your lifelong friends."

"I'm aware of all that, and I appreciate it."

"What has all this to do about Uncle Josiah's leaving town?"

"I'm coming to that. Suppose one of those you called my lifelong friends
proved to be just the opposite?"

"That can't be true about Uncle Josiah!"

"Public expressions of gratitude can never atone for the knife which a
supposedly close friend drives into one's heart."

Elizabeth unconsciously drew away. The movement was slight, but her
father noticed it.

"Beth, Josiah has gone to the city to-night for no good purpose."

"Do you think he went alone?" With a savage leap the question got beyond
the bounds of her lips.

"I doubt it. Just what part the other will play, I don't know. But of
one thing I'm certain, Josi