im to go down
to his church, he met Sue Northwick driving in her sleigh. She was
alone, except for the groom impassive in the rumble.

"Have you heard anything?" she asked, sharply.

Matt repeated the dispatch from the operator at Wellwater.

"I knew it was a mistake," she said, with a kind of resolute scorn.
"It's perfectly ridiculous! _Why_ should he have been there? I think
there ought to be some way of punishing the newspapers for circulating
false reports. I've been talking with the man who drove my father to the
train yesterday morning, and he says he spoke lately of buying some
horses at Springfield. He got several from a farm near there once. I'm
going down to telegraph the farmer; I found his name among father's
bills. Of course he's there. I've got the dispatch all written out."

"Let me take it back to the station for you, Miss Northwick," said Matt.

"No; get in with me here, and we'll drive down, and then I'll carry you
back home. Or! Here, Dennis!" she said to the man in the rumble; and she
handed him the telegram. "Take this to the telegraph-office, and tell
them to send it up by Simpson the instant the answer comes."

The Irishman said, "Yes, ma'am," and dropped from his perch with the
paper in his hand.

"Get in, Mr. Hilary," she said, and after he had mounted she skilfully
backed the sleigh and turned the horses homeward. "If I hear nothing
from my dispatch, or if I hear wrong, I am going up to Wellwater
Junction myself, by the first train. I can't wait any longer. If it's
the worst, I want to know the worst."

Matt did not know what to say to her courage. So he said, "Alone?" to
gain time.

"Of course! At such a time, I would _rather_ be alone."

At the house Matt found Louise had gone to her room for a moment, and he
said he would like to speak with her there.

She was lying on the lounge, when he announced himself, and she said,
"Come in," and explained, "I just came off a moment, to give my
sympathies a little rest. And then, being up late so many nights this
week. What have you heard?"

"Nothing, practically. Louise, how long did you expect to stay?"

"I don't know. I hadn't thought. As long as I'm needed, I suppose. Why?
Must you go back?"

"No--not exactly."

"Not exactly? What are you driving at?"

"Why, there's nothing to be found out by telegraphing. Some one must go
up to the place where the accident happened. She sees that, and she
wants to go. She can't realize at all w