he questioned sharply.

The two nodded affirmatively.

"And he told you not to tell me?"

Another nod.

"Did he say anything more?"

"He said he'd go up and see."

"Hm--m--"

Mrs. Caukins turned a rather white face to Aileen; the two, looking into
each other's eyes, read there a common fear.

"Perhaps you'll take the jelly over for me, Aileen; I'll just step to
the back door and holler to 'Lias to bring in the collie and the
hound--'t isn't always safe to let the dogs out after dark if there
_should_ happen to be anything stirring in the quarry woods."

"I'll go," said Aileen. She went into the pantry to get the glass of
jelly.

"We'll go with you, we won't mind a bit with you or Luigi," chorussed
the twins.

"You don't go one step," said their mother, entering at that moment from
the kitchen, and followed by the two dogs; "you'll stay right where you
are, and what's more, you'll both go to bed early to make you remember
that I mean what I say about your being out so long another time after
sundown--no good comes of it," she muttered.

The twins knew by the tone of her voice that there was no further appeal
to be made.

"You can wash up the dishes while Aileen's gone; my head is so
bad.--Don't be gone too long, Aileen," she said, going to the door with
her.

"I sha'n't stay unless I can do something--but I'll stop a little while
with Ellen, poor girl; she must be tired of all this excitement, sitting
there alone so much as she has this last week."

"Of course, but Aurora won't see you; it's as much as ever I can do to
get a look at her, and as to speaking a word of comfort, it's out of the
question.--Why!" she exclaimed, looking out into the dusk that was
settling into night, "they never light the quarries so early, not with
all the arc-lights, I wonder--Oh, Aileen!" she cried, as the meaning of
the great illumination in The Gore dawned upon her.

The girl did not answer. She ran down the road to the bridge with every
nerve in her strained to its utmost.

XIV

She hurried over to the brick house across the Rothel; rapped at the
kitchen door and, upon the girl's opening it, gave the jelly to her with
Mrs. Caukins' message. She assured Ellen, who begged her to come in,
that she would run over if possible a little later in the evening. A low
whine and prolonged snuffing made themselves audible while the two
talked together in low tones at the door. They seemed to proceed from
the vicinity of the