e, quietly send him away.

At two o'clock she heard footsteps on the opposite side of the street. A
man was slowly and cautiously passing, his eyes on the house. Lizzie
wondered, and when she saw him pause and retrace his steps, still
looking in her direction, she became even alarmed. Her anxiety
increased, for when the man was opposite the gate he began slowly to
cross the street. From his light, furtive steps Lizzie knew that he was
trying to avoid being seen or heard.

Rising, she tiptoed from the parlor into the hall and to the door.
Softly she turned the key, that Tilly might not hear, and stepped upon
the porch. The sound she made was evidently heard by the man, for he
paused in the middle of the street and stood still. Though the moonlight
was clear enough, Lizzie failed to recognize in him any acquaintance of
hers. She opened the gate and went directly to him.

"What do you want here?" she demanded, facing him sternly.

"Oh!" the man ejaculated. "Are you Mrs. Trott?"

"Yes, but what do you want?"

She thought he sighed as he courteously lifted his hat. "Mrs. Trott, I
don't want to intrude," he began. "I am a friend of your son's wife from
Cranston. She was in such deep distress that I and my family aided her.
I helped her take a train this morning, but later decided to--"

"Oh, you are Joel Eperson, are you not?"

"Yes," was the answer.

Lizzie lowered her voice; her glance fell to the ground. "Tilly told me
about you to-night--how kind you have always been to her and what a fine
man you are."

Joel waved his hand disparagingly. "I am not a wise friend of hers, at
any rate, Mrs. Trott," he sighed. "I ought not to have given in to her
coming. But I didn't know that she--she-- You see, she told me that she
was going to stay at the cottage. If I had thought--"

"She insisted on staying here," Lizzie replied, plaintively apologetic.
"She came before it was dark and insisted on staying. That is why I am
up. Do you understand?"

Joel gravely inclined his head. "I understand," he said, "and it is
fine and good of you, Mrs. Trott."

"And you were standing guard over her, too?" Lizzie went on.

Again he bowed his head. "It is a cruel world, Mrs. Trott," he said. "I
hope you will pardon me for saying so, but if it should be known that
Tilly stayed--"

"I know. You needn't tell me," Lizzie interrupted, sensitively. "Now
listen, Mr. Eperson, you must take her home in the morning. You must
take her home an