ht have called me to come down, and they
didn't." They might have called her! All her passion, all her
philosophy, all her endurance, melted into that one desire. If she had
only known at first that he was going to stay so long, she would have
dressed and gone down. She could hardly bear it a moment longer.

After a while a door on the landing of the second story below opened,
and a little figure crept out--Zaidee. She stood irresolute in the hall,
looking down; then she looked up, and, seeing Dosia, ran to her and
climbed into her lap, resting her little pigtailed head confidingly
against Dosia's warm young shoulder.

"They woke me up," she said placidly. "Did they woke you up, too, Cousin
Dosia?"

"Yes," said Dosia, hugging the child close. "Hush! some one is coming;
you'll get sent to bed again." This time it was Lois. Her abstracted
gaze seemed to take in the two on the upper stairway as a matter of
course.

"Oh, it's you, is it?" she said. "I thought I heard some one talking."
She rested on the post below, looking up. "I came to see if you'd take
Zaidee in with you for the rest of the night, Dosia. I want to give
Justin's room to Mr. Girard."

"Is he going to stay?" asked Dosia.

"Yes. It's too late for him to disturb the Snows, and he's been
traveling all day; he's dreadfully tired. He wanted to sleep on the sofa
down-stairs, but I wouldn't let him." She was carrying Zaidee, already
half asleep again, in her arms as she talked, depositing her in Dosia's
bed, while Dosia followed her.

"Did he sell the island?" asked Dosia.

Lois shook her head. "No. They may really sell it next week, but not
now--only that will be too late to save the business. Of course, Mr.
Girard doesn't know that, and Justin will not tell him--he says Mr.
Girard cannot help. Oh, Dosia, when Justin came in from that ride he
looked so well, and now--" She covered her face with her hands, before
recovering herself. "It's time you were both asleep."

"Can't I help you?" asked Dosia; but Lois only answered indifferently,
"No, it's not necessary," and went around making arrangements, while
Dosia, with Zaidee nestling close to her, slept at last.

It was late the next morning before Girard came down. Justin had had
breakfast, and gone; Lois was up-stairs with the children, and Dosia,
who had been tidying up the place, was arranging some flowers in the
vases when he strode in. There was no vestige of that sick-hearted,
imploring maiden of