is a secret, I believe--father warned me not to speak of it
unless you did; but everybody was paid by your father after a time. _That_
did not look as though he were dishonest. His partner took advantage of
the bankruptcy courts."

"Of--of course your father has no idea who _was_ guilty?" whispered Helen,
anxiously.

"None at all," replied Miss Van Ramsden. "It was a mystery then and
remains so to this day. That bookkeeper was a peculiar man, but had a good
record; and it seems that he left the city before the checks were cashed.
Or, so the evidence seemed to prove.

"Now, don't cry, my dear! Come! I wish we could help you clear up that old
trouble. But many of your father's old friends--like papa--never believed
Prince Morrell guilty."

Helen was crying by this time. The kindness of this older girl broke down
her self-possession. They heard somebody coming up the stairs, and Miss
Van Ramsden said, quickly:

"Take me to your room, dear. We can talk there."

Helen never thought that she might be giving the Starkweather family
deadly offence by doing this. She led Miss Van Ramsden immediately to the
rear of the house and up the back stairway to the attic floor. The caller
looked somewhat amazed when Helen ushered her into the room.

"Well, they could not have put you much nearer the sky; could they?" she
said, laughing, yet eyeing Helen askance.

"Oh, I don't mind it up here," returned Helen, truthfully enough. "And I
have some company on this floor."

"Ahem! The maids, I suppose?" said May Van Ramsden.

"No, no," Helen assured her, eagerly. "The dearest little old lady you
ever saw."

Then she stopped and looked at her caller in some distress. For the moment
she had forgotten that she was probably on the way to reveal the
Starkweather family skeleton!

"A little old lady? Who can _that_ be?" cried the caller. "You interest
me."

"I--I--Well, it is an old lady who was once nurse in the family and I
believe Uncle Starkweather cares for her----"

"It's never Nurse Boyle?" cried Miss Van Ramsden, suddenly starting up.
"Why! I remember about her. But somehow, I thought she had died years ago.
Why, as a child I used to visit her at the house, and she used to like to
have me come to see her. That was before your cousins lived here, Helen.
Then I went to Europe for several years and when we returned the house had
all been done over, your uncle's family was here, and I think--I am not
sure--somebody told me dear