hat it means to go there. Suppose
she could manage the journey, going alone, and all that; what could she
do after she got there? How could she go and look up the place of the
accident, and satisfy herself whether her father was--"

"Matt!" shrieked his sister. "If you go on, you will drive me wild. She
mustn't go; that's all there is of it. You mustn't think of letting her
go." She sat up on the lounge in expression of her resolution on this
point. "She must send somebody--some of their men. She mustn't go. It's
too hideous!"

"No," said Matt, thoughtfully. "I shall go."

"You!"

"Why not? I can be at the place by four or five in the morning, and I
can ascertain all the facts, and be able to relieve this terrible
suspense for her."

"For both of them," suggested Louise. "It must be quite as bad for that
poor, sick old maid."

"Why, of course," said Matt, and he felt so much ashamed of having left
her out of the account that he added, "I dare say it's even worse for
her. She's seen enough of life to realize it more."

"Sue was his favorite, though," Louise returned. "Of course you must go,
Matt. _You_ couldn't do _less_! It's magnificent of you. Have you told
her, yet, that you would go?"

"Not yet. I thought I would talk it over with you, first."

"Oh, _I_ approve of it. It's the only thing to do. And I had better stay
here till you come back--"

"Why, no; I'm not sure." He came a little nearer and dropped his voice.
"You'd better know the whole trouble, Louise. There's great trouble for
them whether he's dead or alive. There's something wrong in his accounts
with the company, and if he was on that train he was running away to
Canada to escape arrest."

He could see that only partial intelligence of the case reached her.

"Then if he's killed, it will all be hushed up. I see! It makes you hope
he's killed."

Matt gave a despairing groan. "If he's killed it makes it just so much
the worse. The defalcation has to come out, any way."

"When must it come out?"

"A good many people know of it; and such things are hard to keep. It may
come out--some rumor of it--in the morning papers. The question is
whether you want to stay till they know it here; whether it would be
wise, or useful."

"Certainly not! I should want to kill anybody that was by when such a
thing as that came out, and I should despise Sue Northwick if she let me
get away alive. I must go at once!"

She slid herself from the lounge, and r