Ellison which had transmuted suspicion into
certainty, of her theory of the motives which had actuated Jimmie
Carlisle in so perverting the directions of the man who had held Jimmie
as his most trusted friend.

Larry was fairly stunned by this recital of what had been done. And he
was further stunned as he realized the fullness of what now seemed to be
the circumstances.

"God, think of it!" he breathed. "Maggie trying to be a great
adventuress because she was brought up that way, because she thinks her
father wants her to be that--and having never a guess of the truth! And
Joe Ellison believing that his daughter is a nice, simple girl, happily
ignorant of the life he tried to shield her from--and having never
a guess of the truth! What a situation! And if they should ever find
out--"

He broke off, appalled by the power and magnitude of what he vaguely
saw. Presently he said in a numbed, awed voice:

"They should know the truth. But how are they to find out?"

"I'm leaving all that to you, Larry. Maggie and Joe Ellison are your
affair. It's up to you to decide what you think best to do."

Larry was silent for several moments. "You've known this for some time,
grandmother?"

"For several weeks."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was afraid it might somehow bring you closer to Maggie, and I didn't
want that," she answered honestly. "Now I think a little better of
Maggie. And you've proved to me I can trust a great deal more to your
judgment. Yes, I guess that's the chief reason I've come out here to
tell you this: you've proved to me I've got to respect your judgment.
And so whatever you may do--about Maggie or anything else--will be all
right with me."

She did not wait for a response, but stood up. Her voice which had been
shot through with emotion these last few minutes was now that flat,
mechanical monotone to which the habitants of her little street were
accustomed.

"I must be getting back to the city. Good-night."

He started to accompany her to her car, but she forbade him, saying that
it would not help matters to have him seen and possibly recognized by
the taxicab driver; and so she went out of the grounds alone. Within
another hour and a half she was set down unobserved in a dim side street
in Brooklyn. Thence she made her way on foot to the Subway and rode
home. If the police had noticed her absence and should question her, she
could refuse to answer, or say that she had been visiting lat