to--to my man and--there'll be peace when he knows--at
last! Will you--oh! will you be with me, kind lady, when I--tell
your--your--man?" Nella-Rose dropped at Lynda's feet and was pleading
like a distraught child. "I've been so afraid. I did not know his world
was so full of noise and--and right many things. And he will
be--different--and I may not be able to make him understand. But you
will--_you_ will! I must get back to the hills. I done told Burke I--I
was going to prove myself to his goodness--by putting lil' Ann with them
as would be mighty kind to her. I seemed to know how it would turn
out--and I dared to say it; but now--now I am mighty--'fraid!"

The tears were falling from the pain-racked eyes--falling upon Lynda's
cold, rigid hands--and they seemed to warm her heart and clear her
vision.

"Nella-Rose," she said, "where is little Ann?"

"Lil' Ann? Why, there's lil' Ann sleeping her tire off under your
pillows. She was cold and mighty wore out." Nella-Rose turned toward the
deep couch under the broad window across the room.

Silently, like haunted creatures, both women stole toward the couch and
the mother drew away the sheltering screen of cushions. As she did so,
the little child opened her eyes, and for a moment endeavoured to find
her place in the strangeness. She looked at her mother and smiled a
slow, peculiar smile. Then she fixed her gaze upon Lynda. It was an old,
old look--but young, too--pleading, wonder-filled. The child was so like
Truedale--so unmercifully, cruelly like him--that, for a moment, reason
deserted Lynda and she covered her face with both hands and swayed with
silent laughter.

Nella-Rose bent over her child as if to protect her. "Lil' Ann," she
whispered, "the lady is a right kind lady--right kind!" She felt she
must explain and justify.

After a moment or two Lynda gained control of her shaken nerves. She
suddenly found herself calm, and ready to undertake the hardest, the
most perilous thing that had ever come into her life. "Bring little Ann
to the fire;" she said, "I'm going to order some lunch, and then--we can
decide, Nella-Rose."

Nella-Rose obeyed, dumbly. She was completely under the control of the
only person, who, in this perplexed and care-filled hour, seemed able to
guide and guard her.

Lynda watched the two eat of the food Thomas brought in. There was no
fear of Truedale coming now. There was safety ahead for some hours.
Lynda herself made a pretext of eati