re I have ever known. Hard, cruel, and cold.
How can you stand there and look me in the face when you know how you
have injured me? Tell me, does it not touch you at all that Ruth is
hurt? Do you know or care that such a fall as she has had is enough to
cripple a child for life? Many children have been hopelessly crippled
through far less."

The mother's voice broke, and she set her lips to keep down a sob.

"How much is she hurt?" whispered Nan after a moment. She was
trembling all over and cold and hot by turns, and she could not command
her voice. It was almost more than she could do to keep from bursting
into a violent fit of sobbing from her sense of injury and shame and
indignation. But she simply would not permit herself to break down.
No one should be allowed to think they intimidated her. But she could
not hide her anxiety about Ruth.

"Is she much hurt?" she repeated.

There was a shade of softening in her visitor's face. "We can't tell
yet. She has had a severe fall, and the chill coming after it may have
very serious consequences, but we can tell nothing yet. However, I did
not come here to inform you of her condition," the voice growing stern
and the face severe again. "I came to tell you that if Ruth is injured
I will hold you responsible. And not only that, but I warn you that I
mean to take matters into my own hands now and see that you are
permitted to do no further mischief. You shall be controlled. Who has
charge of your father's affairs? Who has any sort of authority over
you in his absence? He must have left you in somebody's care. He
can't have gone away leaving you with no one to look after you. Who is
your guardian? Tell me? If you don't I shall find out for myself, you
may depend."

"I'm perfectly willing to tell you," declared Nan, with what seemed to
be complete coolness. "It's Mr. Turner. He gives Delia the money to
get me things and to keep the house. He comes here every once in a
while to see me. My father has him for his lawyer. He's a friend of
his. When Delia writes to him for money for me she sends the letter to
101 Blank Street. That's his office. I don't remember where his house
is. Delia never writes to his house. He doesn't attend to me--that
is, he isn't my guardian, but I guess he would do if you want to see
some one."

Nan delivered herself of this information as casually as though it had
been a report of the weather. As a matter of fact she