ords and looks, and
blamed herself for having talked too much to me in my comparatively weak
condition.

"No, you have not talked too much to me. You cannot do that, dear
_Edie_," I said.

It was now her turn to look bewildered.

"_Edie_!" she echoed. "Why--why do you call me Edie?"

I covered my eyes with my hand, that she might not see their expression.

"There can be no doubt _now_," I thought; "but why that name of Blythe?"
Then aloud:

"It is a pretty contraction for Edith, is it not? Don't you like it?"

"Like it? Yes. Oh, how much! But--but--"

"Well, Edie," I said, laying powerful restraint on myself, and looking
her calmly in the face, "you must bear with me to-night. You know that
weakness sometimes causes men to act unaccountably. Forgive me for
interrupting you. I won't do it again, as the naughty boys say.--Go on,
dear, with your story."

I once more covered my eyes with my hand, as if to shade them from the
light, and listened, though I could scarcely conceal my agitation.

"The name of Edie," she continued, "is that by which my darling granny
always called me, and it sounded so familiar--yet so strange--coming
from your lips. But, after all, it is a natural abbreviation. Well, as
I said, an accident befell me. I had burst away from the thieves in a
state of wild horror, and was attempting to rush across a crowded
thoroughfare, when a cab knocked me down. I felt a sharp pang of pain,
heard a loud shout and then all was dark.

"On recovering I found myself lying in one of the beds of a hospital.
My collar-bone had been broken, and I was very feverish--scarcely
understood where I was, and felt a dull sense of oppression on my brain.
They spoke to me, and asked my name. I don't remember distinctly how I
pronounced it, but I recollect being somewhat amused at their
misunderstanding what I said, and calling me Miss Eva Bright! I felt
too ill to correct them at the time, and afterwards became so accustomed
to Eva--for I was a very long time there--that I did not think it worth
while to correct the mistake. This was very foolish and unfortunate,
for long afterwards, when I began to get well enough to think
coherently, and sent them to let granny know where I was, they of course
went with the name of Eva Bright. It was very stupid, no doubt, but I
was so weak and listless after my long and severe illness that this
never once occurred to me. As it turned out, however, there would have