mply with her request, but for
the first time that evening a breeze sprang up and extinguished his
match. With an exclamation of annoyance he moved out of the light into
the shrubbery searching in his pocket for a second match. Hertha still
stood in the broad light of the road.

Meanwhile, from his vantage ground at home, trying to guess at their
possible talk, Bob kept watch, deciding in his mind that what they said
was probably not worth much as Miss Ogilvie kept her best stories for
him. He had learned from Dick that she had never once told that young
man of Tom-of-the-Woods. As he sat meditating he noticed a boy hurry up
the street from the car-line below, who, as he came under the near
light, proved to be none other than Tom-of-the-Woods himself. With a
jump of pleasure, forgetting that he was in hiding, Bob left his perch
and ran out with a greeting.

"Hello, Tom!" he called.

Tom looked at the little boy for a moment in perplexity, and then
without answering started to walk past.

"Want to see her?" Bob asked cheerfully.

Tom stopped. "Yes," he answered.

"I can tell you where she is," Bob went on cautiously. "What'll you give
me if I let you know?"

"I'm in a hurry," Tom said. "Don't fool."

"Gimme your top?"

Tom thrust his hand in his pocket and brought the top out. Grabbing it
with one hand, Bob pointed with the other. "See her over there?" He
indicated the white figure across the street. "That's her. Say," he
called after Tom as he dashed away, "will it vanish for me?"

"Bob, come to bed," came a man's voice from within the house, and,
accepting the inevitable, Bob went within.

Tom had hurried across the street. He was the bearer of bad news and had
no thought for anything but the white figure ahead to whom he must bring
sorrow. Running to where Hertha stood in the bright light he touched her
on the arm saying gently, "Sister!"

The girl started back with a cry. The sight of her brother, here in the
night, unnerved her. Was he God's messenger, come out of the shadow of
the past, to stop her in the path she was about to take? The thought
rushed through her mind as she gave her startled cry.

Then behind her came a sound like the bellowing of some wild creature,
and Dick flung himself upon the Negro. With a blow he struck the lad to
the earth, and holding him fast beat him fiercely.

"Let him alone," Hertha cried, pulling with all her might at Dick's arm.
"He did me no harm!"

The man neve