, and its undertone of hopeless sadness, touched Major
Gilcrest; for now that his soul was no longer vexed with apprehension
for his daughter's future, his better nature asserted itself, and he
felt the most profound pity for the unfortunate youth in his undeserved
disgrace. For the time, Major Gilcrest even forgot his suspicions that
Abner had been in league with Wilkinson, Sebastian and Powers in any
traitorous designs against the Government.

A note for Betsy had been enclosed in the letter to her father. He
thought best to withhold this note, lest its tender sadness might have
the opposite effect to that which he desired; and, instead of causing
her to forget her lover, it might make her cling the more tenaciously
to the memory of her lost happiness.

During all these months Major Gilcrest had taken no steps toward
establishing his wife's claim to the Hite inheritance; nor had James
Drane made any move toward this end, since his letter declining to act
as Abner's agent. The reason for this stay of proceedings was due to
Mrs. Gilcrest. Her husband, while refraining from entering into full
particulars, had told her enough of his hopes and intentions to cause
her the greatest apprehension. If this claim was pushed forward openly,
she thought, not only must the world learn her real maiden name, and
that she had been a widow Logan, but, what was far worse to the weak,
timid woman, her husband would learn that she had deceived him all
these years about her clandestine marriage, and regarding all the
shameful details of her connection with John Logan. She begged and
prayed Major Gilcrest to make no claim to the inheritance. They did not
need it, and the publicity and comment and surmise that would follow,
if he tried to enforce her claim, would kill her, she said. He did not
consent at once, but finally, when she became so agitated as to fall
really ill, he, fearing that further agitation in her weak condition
might prove actually fatal to her, decided to make no public move in
the matter, for the present, at least--until her nerves and strength
had recovered their usual tone.

Thus time wore on, and each succeeding day as it passed, bringing no
tidings to poor Betty, carried hope and love and happiness further from
her grasp. Oaklands had never before seemed desolate and drear; and she
could not have believed, had she been told, that she could ever look
with ungracious eyes upon the stately home of her childhood. She mi