a triumphant acquittal."

"O Helen, Helen!"

"That was just an hour ago," cried the little lady, brightly, "but the
people are not through shouting yet. There has been a great excitement
in town these last few days."

"And I knew nothing of it!" exclaimed Imogene. Suddenly she looked at
Helen. "How did you hear about what took place in the court-room
to-day?" she asked.

"Mr. Byrd told me."

"Ah, Mr. Byrd?"

"He came to leave a good-bye for you. He goes home this afternoon."

"I should like to have seen Mr. Byrd," said Imogene.

"Would you?" queried the little lady, quietly shaking her head. "I don't
know; I think it is just as well you did not see him," said she.

But she made no such demur when a little while later Mr. Gryce was
announced. The fatherly old gentleman had evidently been in that house
before, and Mrs. Richmond was not the woman to withstand a man like him.

He came immediately into the room where Imogene was sitting. Evidently
he thought as Helen did, that good news never hurts.

"Well!" he cried, taking her trembling hand in his, with his most
expressive smile. "What did I tell you? Didn't I say that if you would
only trust me all would come right? And it has, don't you see? Right as
a trivet."

"Yes," she returned; "and I never can find words with which to express
my gratitude. You have saved two lives, Mr. Gryce: his--and mine."

"Pooh! pooh!" cried the detective, good-humoredly. "You mustn't think
too much of any thing I have done. It was the falling limb that did the
business. If Mr. Orcutt's conscience had not been awakened by the stroke
of death, I don't know where we should have been to-day. Affairs were
beginning to look pretty dark for Mansell."

Imogene shuddered.

"But I haven't come here to call up unpleasant memories," he continued.
"I have come to wish you joy and a happy convalescence." And leaning
toward her, he said, with a complete change of voice: "You know, I
suppose, why Mr. Mansell presumed to think _you_ guilty of this crime?"

"No," she murmured, wearily; "unless it was because the ring he believed
me to have retained was found on the scene of murder."

"Bah!" cried Mr. Gryce, "he had a much better reason than that."

And with the air of one who wishes to clear up all misunderstandings, he
told her the words which her lover had overheard Mrs. Clemmens say when
he came up to her dining-room door.

The effect on Imogene was very great. Hoping to hide it, sh