ogany."

"And now--" said Sydney.

"Yes," said Margaret. She looked at him, and her serious blue eyes
seemed to see past him. "It will not last," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I try to learn a lesson. I am a child in the school of God. My lesson
is one that always ends in peace."

"Good God!" said Sydney.

He motioned to his sister, and Ellen approached in a frightened fashion.
Her brother could do no wrong, but this was the unusual, and alarmed
her.

"This lady--" began Sydney.

"Miss Lee," said Margaret. "I was never married. I am Miss Margaret
Lee."

"This," said Sydney, "is my sister Ellen, Mrs. Waters. Ellen, I wish you
to meet Miss Lee."

Ellen took into her own Margaret's hand, and said feebly that it was a
beautiful day and she hoped Miss Lee found Greenhill a pleasant place
to--visit.

Sydney moved slowly out of the tent and found Jack Desmond. He was
standing near with Camille, who looked her best in a pale-blue summer
silk and a black hat trimmed with roses. Jack and Camille never really
knew how the great man had managed, but presently Margaret had gone away
with him and his sister.

Jack and Camille looked at each other.

"Oh, Jack, ought you to have let her go?" said Camille.

"What made you let her go?" asked Jack.

"I--don't know. I couldn't say anything. That man has a tremendous way
with him. Goodness!"

"He is all right here in the place, anyhow," said Jack. "They look up to
him. He is a big-bug here. Comes of a family like Margaret's, though he
hasn't got much money. Some chaps were braggin' that they had a bigger
show than her right here, and I found out."

"Suppose," said Camille, "Margaret does not come back?"

"He could not keep her without bein' arrested," declared Jack, but he
looked uneasy. He had, however, looked uneasy for some time. The fact
was, Margaret had been very gradually losing weight. Moreover, she was
not well. That very night, after the show was over, Bill Stark, the
little dark man, had a talk with the Desmonds about it.

"Truth is, before long, if you don't look out, you'll have to pad her,"
said Bill; "and giants don't amount to a row of pins after that begins."

Camille looked worried and sulky. "She ain't very well, anyhow," said
she. "I ain't going to kill Margaret."

"It's a good thing she's got a chance to have a night's rest in a
house," said Bill Stark.

"The fat man has asked her to stay with him and his sister while the
show is here,"