e willing to do it?" Jack
asked, in startled tones.

"Carroll Renner says she will," Frank answered, "and she is curiously
correct in her judgments of people, and they have been pretty close this
last summer."

Earl gave a sigh of relief. "Then by all means employ her at once," he
said. "I not trust my life to a woman? Dear Frank, when is there ever a
time when man does not trust his fate to woman? The infant owes his
existence to a woman; the boy would make sad progress in the world were
it not for the woman. The young man would drop back to barbarism but for
her, and where would you and I be but for that dear, sweet sister of
ours? Simply because the Twentieth Century woman is breaking away from
the old, destructive life of the parasite and endeavoring to fulfill her
destiny on earth, is no reason for believing that she does not still
possess all the noble qualities that have characterized her since the
world began. Not only have I no prejudices against, but a decided
partiality for a woman defender," and so the matter was settled.

Silvia went to consult with Earl every day that she was in the city,
and strongly advised against any attempt to secure bail, as sure to open
anew the charges and innuendoes which were already but dimly remembered
by the New York public. She took personal charge of every phase of the
case, and although Frank was associated with her he asked few questions
and she volunteered but little information. A week later she spent
several days in Boston and stopped at Providence on her way back, but
aside from telling his family where she had been she gave no intimation
either of her purposes or the results of her trip, and cautioned every
one to give nothing to the press.

"What did you do with the box of candied fruit you bought at Thompson's
candy store when you were in Boston?" she demanded of Dr. Earl at her
first interview after her return.

For a moment he looked dazed. "Box of candied fruit--I didn't buy
any--oh, yes; wait a minute. While at Magnolia, I wished to pay a visit
to some old friends who live in East Boston; they have a youngster in
the family, and I bought the candied fruit for her at the same time I
bought the pecans which I sent to Alice; but do you know, a curious
thing happened to that package of candied fruit. I put it on the seat
beside me while crossing the ferry, and then took up a magazine article
I was much interested in, and when I rose to leave the boat the packag