as on that side of the quagmire. Why he ever skirted it so close
as to get caught is a mystery you will have to dream out. I never could
understand it."

"Was he doing something he didn't want my mother to know?"

"Why?"

"Because if he had been, he might have cut close the swamp so he
couldn't be seen from the garden. You know, the whole path straight to
the pool where he sank can be seen from our back door. It's firm on our
side. The danger is on the north and east. If he didn't want mother to
know, he might have tried to pass on either of those sides and gone too
close. Was he in a hurry?"

"Yes, he was," said Margaret. "He had been away longer than he expected,
and he almost ran when he started home."

"And he'd left his violin somewhere that you knew, and you went and got
it. I'll wager he was going to play, and didn't want mother to find it
out!"

"It wouldn't make any difference to you if you knew every little thing,
so quit thinking about it, and just be glad you are to have what he
loved best of anything."

"That's true. Now I must hurry home. I am dreadfully late."

Elnora sprang up and ran down the road, but when she approached the
cabin she climbed the fence, crossed the open woods pasture diagonally
and entered at the back garden gate. As she often came that way when she
had been looking for cocoons her mother asked no questions.

Elnora lived by the minute until Saturday, when, contrary to his usual
custom, Wesley went to town in the forenoon, taking her along to buy
some groceries. Wesley drove straight to the music store, and asked for
the violin he had left to be mended.

In its new coat of varnish, with new keys and strings, it seemed much
like any other violin to Sinton, but to Elnora it was the most beautiful
instrument ever made, and a priceless treasure. She held it in her arms,
touched the strings softly and then she drew the bow across them in
whispering measure. She had no time to think what a remarkably good
bow it was for sixteen years' disuse. The tan leather case might have
impressed her as being in fine condition also, had she been in a state
to question anything. She did remember to ask for the bill and she was
gravely presented with a slip calling for four strings, one key, and a
coat of varnish, total, one dollar fifty. It seemed to Elnora she never
could put the precious instrument in the case and start home. Wesley
left her in the music store where the proprietor showed her