But you cannot go till you are better and stronger. Then we can all
consult upon the best way.'

'Hush not a word to any one. They would stop me. And you know now
Howell is my husband, I must leave father and mother to follow him. I
know I was wrong to leave them to marry him; though he loves me, Gladys!
he loves me! Don't you think he does?'

'I am sure he does. Still, it might not be well for you to go to him, if
he is hiding for debt. He might prefer your remaining here?'

'Would you not go to Owen? Would he like you to be away from him in
trouble? You, who have only been married a week, know better; and I have
been married years.'

'Owen shall tell you, my dear love, whether he would wish me to go to
him at such a time. Perhaps men know best what other men would like?'

'But I mean to go, Gladys. Neither Owen nor you can hinder me.'

'And what of Minette? You would kill her, if you took her so far.'

'Ah! that is what I wanted to say to you. I knew there was something;
but my head aches so, I forget. If I go away, will you take care of
Minette till I come back. Will you love her as if she were your own?'

'Wherever you go I will be a mother to her; but she would not like to
part from her own dear mother, any better than you will from yours. We
will not think of the journey just yet, dear; we will be happy together,
all of us, for a little longer. You cannot leave so soon, after you have
made Owen and me so blest.'

'None of you want me now; father and mother have a new daughter, a
better one than I have ever been; Owen a wife! What a word that is,
Gladys! We don't understand it till we are parted from our husband; and
I give Minette a mother in my place. I must go very soon.'

Poor Netta laid her head on Gladys' shoulder, and began to cry.

'Well, dear,' said Gladys soothingly, 'we will see about it, you and I.
But you must not go till I think you strong enough, and till we are
prepared with clothes and money.'

'Oh! I can beg! I don't want clothes or money to get to Howel.'

Gladys knew that it was of no use to try to combat Netta's purpose. All
she could do was to seem to yield.

'We will see,' she said, 'when the days are a little longer. But you
have not told me about the letters yet.'

'No, I was forgetting them. If anything happens to me, or it I should
miss Howel on my way, I want him to have this packet of letters. In
them, I have told him that I wish Minette to remain here with you and
moth