is you'd realize
how I am trying to help you, and the risk I am taking."

"Oh, how noble of you! How brave you are!" and if Mrs. Burton had
waited another moment before returning to the room she would have had
another case for hysterics on her hands entirely separate and
independent of Helen's elopement.

"I can't find her--I don't believe she's in the house," wailed Mrs.
Burton.

Barnes regarded her dumbly for a moment and then said slowly and
ponderously:

"My dear lady, I assure you that she is not in the house. If you'll
only listen a moment"----

"I won't listen," Mrs. Burton snapped him up.

Sadie jumped to her feet and rallied to Barnes's defense:

"But, auntie, this gentleman has been doing everything he can to help
us--everything. He's been watching."

"Watching? Watching what?" demanded auntie, suspiciously.

"Ah, that's it! What? What haven't I been watching--for hours?" cried
Barnes.

"But what have you been watching for?" Mrs. Burton shrilled.

"For hours"----

"What?"

"I mean for yours--and Miss Sadie's sake, and now if you'll wait here
and watch with me"----

"Now I see it all," stormed Mrs. Burton, shaking her hand at Barnes
wrathfully. "You want to keep us here. Helen and that scoundrel have
gone and you want to prevent our following them."

"No, auntie, he's trying to help us," sobbed Sadie.

"He's lying to you, child," said Mrs. Burton, shooting vindictive
glances at Barnes. "Don't you know he's a friend of that wretch
Gladwin? But they can't hoodwink me. I know what to do now! Helen is
not of age--I'll swear out a warrant--I'll have him arrested for
abduction, a State prison offense."

"No, no, no," implored Barnes, in real alarm, "you must not do that.
That will make the whole thing public, and that is just what Gladwin
is trying to avoid."

"Don't you suppose I know that," sneered Mrs. Burton. "He's probably a
bigamist. He may have a dozen wives living--the beast!"

"But won't you understand," insisted Barnes. "He's trying to save her,
privately."

"Now, what are you talking about?"

Mrs. Burton regarded him as if she had suddenly realized he was a
raving maniac. And by way of justifying her inspiration he stumbled on
blindly:

"I don't know--you see, it's this way. Gladwin and I only found it out
this afternoon--quite by accident. And we decided to save her."

"That's enough--stop!" cried Mrs. Burton. "You're talking all this
nonsense to detain us. But I won't st