r. Benton had impressed that upon her mind. Even the family
silver, the little dented mug from which her father had drunk his milk had
been willed away.

However, what did it matter now? Sentiment was a foolish thing. There
would never be any more Websters to inherit these heirlooms. She was the
last of the line; and she would never marry.

Having reached this climax in her meditations, she turned into the
driveway and, halting before the barn door, called to Tony to come and
take the horse. Afterward she disappeared into the house.

All the afternoon she worked feverishly, putting everything into
irreproachable order. Then she packed her few belongings into the little
brown trunk. It was four o'clock when she summoned the Portuguese boy from
the field.

"I want you to take me and my trunk to the station, Tony," she said,
struggling to make the order a casual one. "Then you are to come back here
and go on with your work as usual until Mr. Howe or some one else asks you
to do otherwise. I will pay you a month in advance, and by that time you
will be told what you are to do."

Tony eyed her uncomprehendingly.

"You ain't leavin' for good, Miss Lucy?" he inquired at last.

"Yes."

"B--u--t--t--how can you? Ain't this your home?"

"Not now, Tony."

The bewildered foreigner scratched his head.

The girl had been kind to him, and he was devoted to her.

"I don't see----" he began.

"By and by you will understand," said Lucy gently. "It is all right. I
want to go away."

"To go away from here?" gasped the lad.

Lucy nodded.

"Is it that you're lonely since Miss Ellen died?"

"I guess so."

Tony was thoughtful; then with sudden inspiration he ventured the remark:

"Mebbe you're afraid to stay alone by yourself in the house nights."

"Maybe."

"You ain't seen a ghost?" he whispered.

"I'm going away because of a ghost, yes," Lucy murmured half to herself.

"Then I don't blame you," exclaimed Tony vehemently. "You wouldn't ketch
me stayin' in a house that was haunted by spirits. Where you goin'--back
out West?"

"Perhaps so."

She helped him to carry the trunk out to the wagon and strap it in; then
she got in herself.

As they drove in silence out of the yard, not a soul was in sight; nor was
there any delay at the station to give rise to gossip. She had calculated
with such nicety that the engine was puffing round the bend in the track
when she alighted on the platform.

Hurriedly she bought