he desk; and drawing on her silken
chamber-robe, went into the writing-room.

At intervals, during her writing, she would rise and gaze from the
window across the darkness where in the sick-room a faint, steady glow
remained; and she could see the white curtains in his room stirring like
ghosts in the soft night wind and the shadow of the nurse on wall and
ceiling.

"Dear, dear dad and mother," she wrote; "Mr. Portlaw was so
anxious for Louis to begin his duties that we decided to come at
once, particularly as we both were somewhat worried over the
serious illness of Mr. Hamil.

"He is very, very ill, poor fellow. The sudden change from the
South brought on pneumonia. I know that you both and Gray and
Cecile and Jessie will feel as sorry as I do. His aunt, Miss
Palliser, is here. To-night I was permitted to see him. Only his
eyes were visible and they were wide open. It is very dreadful,
very painful, and has cast a gloom over our gaiety.

"To-night Dr. Lansdale said that he would pull him through. I am
afraid he said it to encourage Miss Palliser.

"This is a beautiful place--" She dropped her pen with a shudder,
closed her eyes, groped for it again, and forced herself to
continue--"Mr. Portlaw is very kind. The superintendent's house
is large and comfortable. Louis begins his duties to-morrow.
Everything promises to be most interesting and enjoyable--" She
laid her head in her arms, remaining so, motionless until
somewhere on the floor below a clock struck midnight."

At last she managed to go on:

"Dad, dear; what you said to Louis about my part of your estate
was very sweet and generous of you; but I do not want it. Louis
and I have talked it over in the last fortnight and we came to
the conclusion that you must make no provision for me at present.
We wish to begin very simply and make our own way. Besides I know
from something I heard Acton say that even very wealthy people
are hard pressed for ready money; and so Phil Gatewood acted as
our attorney and Mr. Cuyp's firm as our brokers and now the Union
Pacific and Government bonds have been transferred to Colonel
Vetchen's bank subject to your order--is that the term?--and the
two blocks on Lexington Avenue now stand in your name, and Cuyp,
Van Dine, and Siclen sold all those queer things for me--the
Industrials, I think you call them--and I endorsed a sheaf of