of white light fell on the unpapered wall, and then two
dusky shadows slid over it, vague, obscure, and gigantic.

"There are your people. Now I'll adjust the focus. There--look."

A heavy sob startled him.

"Oh! It's that hateful Alice Green!"

Elmer opened the door of the lantern, and the light streamed full upon
Alma. She was bathed in tears, and her shoulders, visible through her
light summer dress, shook with sobs.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing! Oh, it's--nothing--let me--go----"

With an impatient gesture she tried to brush the tears from her eyes,
and then, without a word, she hastily ran out of the room.

The student of pure science was surprised beyond measure. What had
happened? What new blunder had he committed? With all his deep study of
things material he was ignorant of things emotional and sentimental.
This exhibition of anger and grief in his pretty cousin utterly
disconcerted him. He did not know what to do, nor what to think, and he
stood in the glare of his lantern for a moment or two in deep thought.

Then he closed the lantern and turning round, examined the shadowy
picture thrown upon the wall. It represented a young man and a young
woman seated upon the wooden rail of the bridge in the open air, and in
most loving embrace. His arm was about her waist, and he was looking in
her face. His straw hat hid his features, but the face of the young
woman was turned toward the camera that had so perfectly mirrored them
both. She seemed to be a young and pretty girl in the more lowly walks
of life, and her lover seemed to be a gentleman. What a pity he hadn't
looked up! Who could he be? And she? Alma's remark plainly showed that
she at least knew the girl, and for some reason was hotly indignant with
her.

Thinking he had made trouble enough already, Elmer took one more good
look at the picture, and then prepared to destroy it. Something about
the young man's hat struck him as familiar. It was a panama hat, and had
two ribbons wound round it in a fanciful manner that was not exactly
conventional.

He silently opened a shutter, and the picture faded away. He drew up the
curtains and looked out on the bridge. The young couple had disappeared.
Poor innocents! They little knew how their pictures had been taken in
spite of themselves, and they little knew the tragic and terrible
consequences that were to flow from the stolen photograph so strangely
made. Elmer took the little slide from the lantern