ith a sense
of tragedy.

Tory Drew moved near the other girl, standing beside her in a
defensive attitude, as if disaster must first meet her before it could
again touch the friend so dear to her.

Mrs. Hammond took Lucy's hand in her own, attempting to draw the
little girl toward the open door. Some day she hoped that Lucy might
altogether forget the Gray House and think of herself as her own and
Mr. Hammond's child.

At last Sheila Mason had ceased her talk with Mr. Fenton and Miss
Frean. She turned toward the center of the room, looking as if she
wished to ask Mr. and Mrs. Hammond to say farewell. Then the interest
in Kara's face and in Mr. Hammond's words forbade the interruption.

Memory Frean had come into the room and Mr. Richard Fenton stood
immediately behind her. He was watching Tory.

"I am afraid I have said too much or too little and perhaps tired or
worried you, Kara. If you like, suppose we have a long, quiet talk
some day alone. I'll come again to see you and we can go out into the
woods together."

Conscious of the atmosphere and of his own imprudence, Mr. Hammond
picked up his hat and stick which he had placed upon a table.

Again his own interest in the situation became stronger than other
impressions.

Walking toward Kara's chair, he pushed the chair a few feet nearer the
wall.

Without explaining his purpose he moved aside a rug which lay on the
floor and struck the boards with his cane.

"Has this floor ever been taken up and a new one laid down?" he
inquired, apparently of Victoria Drew, who chanced to be standing
nearer than any one else.

Tory shook her head.

"I don't think so. The floor was in extremely good condition when we
decided to make this cabin the center of our camp in Beech wood
Forest."

"The bed stood just here," Mr. Hammond indicated with his walking
stick the exact spot where Kara's chair had been the moment before. "I
have always felt we should have had this floor removed. Kara, if you
will give me permission, when the summer camping days have passed, I
should like to undertake it. There isn't one chance in a thousand we
should come across anything, but it would be worth while to try, would
it not?"

Kara's expression made no other answer necessary.

A few moments after the Hammonds had said farewell and were gone.

An instant it appeared as if Lucy wished to break away and speak to
Kara. The other girl never glanced toward her, or seemed conscious of
her