"Mrs.
Willis has always sent for you when everything else has failed with us
girls, and I did not think she would treat me so. I was determined not to
say anything to you. Now, however, you have spoken good words to me, and
I can't turn away from you. I will tell you all that is in my heart. I
will promise before God to conceal nothing, if only you will do one thing
for me."

"What is that, my child?"

"Will you believe me?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Ah, but you have not been tried yet. I thought Mrs. Willis would
certainly believe; but she said the circumstantial evidence was too
strong--perhaps it will be too strong for you."

"I promise to believe you, Annie Forest; if, before God, you can assure
me that you are speaking the whole truth, I will fully believe you."

Annie paused again, then she rose from her seat and stood a pace away
from the old minister.

"This is the truth before God," she said, as she locked her two hands
together and raised her eyes freely and unshrinkingly to Mr. Everard's
face.

"I have always loved Mrs. Willis. I have reasons for loving her which the
girls don't know about. The girls don't know that when my mother was
dying she gave me into Mrs. Willis' charge, and she said, 'You must keep
Annie until her father comes back.' Mother did not know where father was;
but she said he would be sure to come back some day, and look for mother
and me; and Mrs. Willis said she would keep me faithfully until father
came to claim me. That is four years ago, and my father has never come,
nor have I heard of him, and I think, I am almost sure, that the little
money which mother left must be all used up. Mrs. Willis never says
anything about money, and she did not wish me to tell my story to the
girls. None of them know except Cecil Temple. I am sure some day father
will come home, and he will give Mrs. Willis back the money she has spent
on me; but never, never, never can he repay her for her goodness to me.
You see I cannot help loving Mrs. Willis. It is quite impossible for any
girl to have such a friend and not to love her. I know I am very wild,
and that I do all sorts of mad things. It seems to me that I cannot help
myself sometimes; but I would not willingly, indeed, I would not
willingly hurt anybody. Last Wednesday, as you know, there was a great
disturbance in the school. Dora Russell's desk was tampered with, and so
was Cecil Temple's. You know, of course, what was found in both the
desks. Mrs