keen prescience, took alarm. Noticing the two
maids standing wide-mouthed in the hallway, she summoned her most
commandatory tone, stepped into the hall, half closing the door behind
her, and cowed the two handmaidens under her glance.

"It is all right!" she said calmly. "Miss Kate has left a note, and will
soon return. Go down and keep her breakfast warm, and not a word to a
soul! Dolly, Debby, do you understand? Not a word of this! Now hurry and
do all that I told you before breakfast."

They went with downcast eyes and disappointed droops to their mouths, but
she knew that not a word would pass their lips. They knew that if they
disobeyed that command they need never hope for favor more from madam.
Madam's word was law. She would be obeyed. Therefore with remarkable
discretion they masked their wondering looks and did as they were bidden.
So while the family stood in solemn conclave in Kate's room the
preparations for the wedding moved steadily forward below stairs, and only
two solemn maids, of all the helpers that morning, knew that a tragedy was
hovering in the air and might burst about them.

David had grasped for the letter eagerly, and fumbled it open with
trembling hand, but as he read, the smile of expectation froze upon his
lips and his face grew ashen. He tottered and grasped for the mantel shelf
to steady himself as he read further, but he did not seem to take in the
meaning of what he read. The others waited breathless, a reasonable length
of time, Madam Schuyler impatiently patient. She felt that long delay
would be perilous to her arrangements. She ought to know the whole truth
at once and be put in command of the situation. Marcia with sorrowful face
and drooping eyelashes stood quiet behind the curtain, while over and over
the echo of a horse's hoofs in a silent street and over a bridge sounded
in her brain. She did not need to be told, she knew intuitively what had
happened, and she dared not look at David.

"Well, what has she done with herself?" said the Squire impatiently. He
had not finished his plate of cakes, and now that there was word he wanted
to know it at once and go back to his breakfast. The sight of his
daughter's handwriting relieved and reassured him. Some crazy thing she
had done of course, but then Kate had always done queer things, and
probably would to the end of time. She was a hussy to frighten them so,
and he meant to tell her so when she returned, if it was her wedding day.