d I. "Some one is wearing his thumb off on that bell."

As he swung the door back, obeying me like a man in a dream, a voice
outside mumbled indistinctly.

"Yes," said Estabrook, "I am he."

Then closing the door he came into the room, fumbling along the wall for
the electric switch. The flood of light disclosed him trying to tear
open an envelope.

As he read the contents, his face grew black as if with rage, then it
brightened again. He uttered an exclamation of pleasure.

"Thank God!" he cried. "Here! Read this. It's from Margaret Murchie."

I took the paper.

"You will never see me again," it said. "I have gone to Monty Cranch.
You won't ever see either of us again. He is going with me. We plan to
finish life, what is left of it, together. We will never turn up again.
You better not worry.

"I have caused enough trouble already," it went on in its rough scrawl.
"I have been wicked enough and had to pay dear for my lies. Julianna is
not the daughter of Monty Cranch. That is the truth. She is the daughter
of the Judge, so help me. Mrs. Welstoke is to blame for that first lie.
I stole the locket from the Cranch baby's neck and after the fire I saw
a chance to get the Judge in my power. I snapped the locket on and I
fooled him otherwise. God knows I suffered enough for it afterward when
I got to love him and Julianna. I never attempted any blackmail. But I
did not dare to tell the truth. It was the only home I had and I was
afraid. I have done the best I could. You will never see me again. Monty
knows now she is not his. I have money saved. We won't come back."

"Well," said Estabrook, when I had tossed it on the table, "I am dumb. I
am the happiest man alive. The Estabrooks, when you come right down to
it quickly, would have been sorry if--"

"Pardon me, sir," I said. "I will call later. You do not need me now and
I will step into the Marburys'."

"But, Doctor!" cried the young man.

I shook my head.

"My dear fellow," said I solemnly, "I cannot bear to hear you talk about
the respectable Estabrooks!"

Our hands met, however, and, I believe, with a warmth that meant more
than many words.

As I went up the Marburys' steps a minute later, I looked up. A light
was burning in Mrs. Estabrook's room. I saw the shadows of a man and a
woman pass the curtain together.

This pretty picture was in my mind as I entered little Virginia's room,
where Miss Peters met me with a smile--the first human smile I had ev