the young man, letting
himself go again. "He is a marvelous man. I wish I had half of his
strength of will and--and good looks. It is past belief that he is
what he is, with all his talents, his appearance and his magnificent
courage. If it is in my power the police shall not reach him.

"At first my only object was to save you from the dreadful position of
becoming the wife of such a man, and also from the scandal that must
have followed if your elopement were discovered and he were arrested.
But now I must confess that the man compels my admiration, and that I
want to see him free for his own sake."

"And he is still in the house?" said Helen, anxiously.

"Yes, yes, and here comes your aunt. Now, I pray you, let me take the
brunt of this storm. I will ask nothing more of you. I am Travers
Gladwin and we were to have eloped--do you promise? For here she is."

"Yes," Helen whispered, and then the storm burst.

"So here you are at last, Helen Burton," came the first roll of
thunder from the doorway.

It was not as terrifying a rumble as it might have been had not the
statuesque and tightly laced Mrs. Burton lost a good deal of breath in
coming up the stairs. She came on into the room with tragic step,
followed by Whitney Barnes and Sadie, the latter keeping very close to
Barnes as if she feared that her cousin would cover her with
reproaches for having revealed the secret of the projected elopement.

"Calm yourself, madam; calm yourself," began Travers Gladwin, as he
stepped between her and her niece.

"And who are you, pray?" asked the majestic woman, haughtily.

"I am to blame for it all," he cried. "I am Travers Gladwin."

"What! You are Travers Gladwin! You are the wretch who sought to steal
off in the dead of night with my niece and ward. You! You!"

Mrs. Burton looked unutterable threats and maledictions. Travers
Gladwin could not resist a smile, which he hid by bowing low and
stammering:

"I must humbly confess to being myself and plead guilty of the crime
of falling passionately in love with your niece. I"----

Helen rose quickly to her feet and confronted her aunt. There was fire
in the young girl's eye as she said:

"Aunt Ella, it is all a mistake, this"----

"Now, Helen," Gladwin turned and took the young girl's hand, "please
let me explain. You promised."

"She promised what?" flared Mrs. Burton.

"She foolishly promised to elope with me," said Gladwin sweetly, "but
when she got here and