will
be more than glad to get in touch with the office if there is anything
in it."

"There is a fortune in it," said Robert, "just as soon as you get the
machine perfected! We must have it, and we will give you fine terms for
a right to its exclusive use. What are you doing here?"

"I am your mother's chauffeur," said Mr. Culver. "I wanted something to
do that would give me a good deal of leisure to work on the engine and
after I came back from France we were visiting my wife's people here
and I saw your mother's advertisement and took the place."

"It is almost too good to be true!" said Robert. "If you agree, we'll
work the thing out together."

Mr. Culver looked at Mrs. Horton, then at Mrs. Hargrave. "Stay; please
stay!" was the message he read in both pairs of eyes.

"That will be fine," he said to Robert. "I need some help, and you are
just the one to put me in the way of getting it. See you to-morrow," he
added and went out, forgetting the check.

"Well, I believe in fairies now," said Robert. "Half a dozen of the
biggest concerns in the country are after that young man. If I dared, I
would lock him up for safe keeping. To think that he is here right on
the place! Talk of luck! Why, he is worth a million dollars to us right
now, with his improved engine."

"Luck; luck!" said Mrs. Hargrave. "Pretty poor luck, I call it for me!"

"Why?" asked Mrs. Horton.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" sighed Mrs. Hargrave. "Only I had it all planned
to do something nice for Helen."

CHAPTER XIX

Two days went by, during which Rosanna slept most of the time or tossed
about her pretty bed, unable to rest on account of the pain in her head.

Rosanna learned then, for the first time, the lesson that it is never
right to run away from the duty that faces us. It came to her slowly but
surely in the hours of her recovery that no good ever comes to those who
shirk. If Rosanna had waited, she would have saved herself and many
others a great deal of unhappiness.

Rosanna was a very little girl, yet she might have stood firm because
she knew in her heart that she was not to blame and that should have
given her courage. As she lay there and day by day learned from one and
another the terrible suffering her running away had brought on every
one, Rosanna was filled with shame and despair. How could any one, how
could her grandmother ever forgive her?

And the worst of her punishment was that they would not let her talk.
She