ime of my father's death, in regard to Dr.
Fair's treatment of the case?" he asked abruptly one evening.

The color rose in Mrs. Whittredge's face, and she looked up from her work.
"I do not understand you. How do you know it was unfounded?"

"For one thing, because I have taken pains to investigate. I saw Dr. Bell
in Baltimore."

"May I ask why this sudden zeal?" His mother went on taking careful
stitches in a piece of linen.

"For the reason that until a few weeks ago I knew nothing about it. Now I
cannot rest till the cruel wrong has been in some measure righted."

"And you conclude without question, at once, that all the wrong is on one
side. But I should not be surprised. I have ever been the last to be
considered by my children."

"You are not quite fair, mother," Allan answered gently, touched by the
unhappy bit of truth in this remark; "but I'll not defend myself more than
to say that I am not judging any one. I only wish the wrong on our side
made right." And he added, what he realized afterward had the sound of a
threat, "Unless it is done, I can never call Friendship my home."

Here it ended for the time.

* * * * *

And now, after a week of rain, October began with perfect weather, and
from the strangers who flocked to the auction, attracted by reports of
Lowestoft plates and Sheraton furniture, were heard many expressions of
delight at the beauty of the old town.

For two hours before the sale began, a stream of people passed through
the house, examining its contents, or wandered about the grounds, admiring
the view and the fine beech trees. Friendship itself was well represented
in the throng, but rather in the character of interested onlookers than
probable purchasers.

Miss Betty was there to watch the fate of her silver, and Allan Whittredge
had brought Rosalind, who was eager to see for herself what an auction was
like. She hung entranced over Patricia's miniature, which with some other
small things of value had been placed in a glass case in the library,
until her uncle told her if she would select some article of furniture
that particularly pleased her, he would try to get it for her. This
delighted her beyond measure, and after much consideration she chose a
chest of drawers, with a small mirror above it, swung between two sportive
and graceful dolphins. "The little dolphin bureau," she called it.

[Illustration: "SHE CHOSE A CHEST OF DRAWERS."]

The sal