even thought
to destroy it when I became old. Some people might wish to carry it with
them to the grave, but I could not--oh, no, not my little sister! See,
Gifford--take it to the light--not that little merry face. I should like
to think it was with your aunts. And--and there is, as it were, a certain
propriety in sending it to--her."

Gifford took the miniature from the lawyer's hand, and, kneeling by the
candle, looked at it. The faded velvet case held only the rosy, happy
face of a little child; not very pretty, perhaps, but with eyes which
had smiled into Mr. Denner's for forty years, and Gifford held it in
reverent hands.

"Yes," said the old man, "I would like one of them to have it."

"I shall remember it, sir," Gifford answered, putting the case down on
the lawyer's pillow.

The room was quite still for a few moments, and then Mr. Denner said,
"Gifford, it was quite accidental, quite by mistake, as it were, that I
stopped the horse for Mrs. Forsythe and little Lois. I--I thought, sir,
it was one of your aunts. One of your aunts, do you understand Gifford?
You know what I said to you, at the stone bench, that afternoon? I--I
alluded to myself, sir."

Gifford was silent, almost breathless; it all came back to him,--the
warm, still afternoon, the sunshine, the faintly rustling leaves of the
big silver poplar, and Mr. Denner's friend's love story. But only the
pathos and the tenderness of it showed themselves to him now. He put his
hand up to his eyes, a moment; somehow, he felt as though this was
something too sacred for him to see.

"I know, sir," he said; "I--I see."

"I trust," Mr. Denner continued, in a relieved voice, "there is no
impropriety in mentioning this to you, though you are still a youth. You
have seemed older these last few days, more--ah--sedate, if I may so
express it. They--they frequently speak as though you were quite a youth,
whereas it appears to me you should be considered the head of the
family,--yes, the head of the family. And therefore it seemed to me
fitting that I should mention this to you, because I wished to request
you to dispose of the miniature. It would have been scarcely proper to do
otherwise, scarcely honorable, sir."

"I am grateful to you for doing so," Gifford replied gently. "I beg you
will believe how entirely I appreciate the honor of your confidence."

"Oh, not at all," said Mr. Denner, waving his hand, "not at all,--pray do
not mention it. And you will gi