."

Ransom's heart was growing lighter and lighter. She did not even know
that there had been placed over that grave a monument with her name on it
and that of the mother who had scolded her for tripping over her father's
sod. Only Anitra could be so ignorant or expect to find a grave by means
of a bush blooming with flowers fifteen years ago. As she went wandering
on, peering to right and left, he thought of Hazen and his doubts, and
wished that he were here beside him to mark her perplexity.

When quite satisfied that she would never find what she sought without
help, Ransom stepped from his hiding-place and joined her among the
grassy hillocks. The start of pleasure she gave and her almost childish
look of relief warmed his heart, and it was with a smile he waited for
her to speak.

"My father's grave!" she explained. "I was looking for my father's grave.
I remember my mother taking me to it when I was little. There was a bush
close by it--oh! I see what you think. The bush would be big now--I
forgot that. And something else! You are thinking of something else. Oh,
I know, I know. He wouldn't be lying alone any more. My mother must have
died, or sister would have taken me to her. There ought to be two
graves."

He nodded, and taking her by the hand led her to the family monument. She
gazed at it for a moment, amazed, then laid her finger on one of the
inscriptions.

"My father's name?" she asked.

He nodded.

She hung her head thoughtfully for a moment, then slipping to the other
side of the stone laid her hand on another.

"My mother's?"

Again he signified yes.

"And this? Is this sister's name? No, she's not buried yet. I had a
brother. Is it his?"

Ransom bowed. How tell her that it was a false inscription and that the
man whose death it commemorated was not only alive but had only a little
while before spoken to her.

"I didn't like my brother. He was cruel and liked to hurt people. I'm
glad he's dead."

Ransom drew her away. Her frankness was that of a child, but it produced
an uncomfortable feeling. He didn't like this brother either, and in this
thoughtless estimate of hers he seemed to read a warning to which his own
nature intuitively responded.

"Come!" he motioned, leading the way out.

She followed with a smile, and together they entered the highway. As they
did so, Ransom caught sight of a man speeding down the hill before them
on a bicycle. He had not come front the upper road, or