e.

"Why is he unhappy?" demanded McPherson. "Ask him?"

"Why are you unhappy, Mynheer Grimm?" droned the boy.

"On account of Kathrien's future," replied Peter Grimm.

"What?" questioned Willem, who did not quite understand the meaning of
the words "account" and "future."

"To-morrow----" began the Dead Man.

"To-morrow----" droned Willem.

"Kathrien's----" continued Peter Grimm.

"Your----" said the boy, glancing at Kathrien.

"Kathrien's?" asked the doctor. "Is he speaking about Kathrien?"

"What is it, Willem?" begged the girl. "What about me, to-morrow?"

"Kathrien must not marry Frederik," said Peter Grimm, as if teaching a
simple lesson to a very stupid pupil.

"Kathrien----" began the boy, then flinching, and once more glancing
fearfully over his shoulder toward the door, he whimpered:

"Oh, I must not say that!"

"Say _what_, Willem?" urged McPherson.

"What--what he wanted me to say!"

"Kathrien must not marry Frederik Grimm," repeated the Dead Man. "Say
it, Willem?"

"Speak up, Willem," exhorted McPherson. "Don't be scared. No one will
hurt you."

"Oh, yes," denied Willem, in terror, "_he_ will. I don't _want_ to say
his name! Because--because----"

"Why won't you tell his name?" insisted McPherson.

"Hurry, Willem! Hurry!" begged the Dead Man.

"Oh," wailed Willem, with another terrified glance at the door, "I'm
afraid! I'm _afraid_! He'll make Anne Marie cry again. And me! And
_me_!"

"Why are you afraid of him?" asked Kathrien. "Was Frederik the man that
came to see Anne Marie----?"

"Kathrien!" primly reproved Mrs. Batholommey.

Kathrien caught hold of the boy's hand as he rose, shaking, to his feet.
She knelt before him.

"Willem!" she implored. "Was Frederik the man who came to see Anne
Marie? _Tell_ me!"

"Surely," expostulated Mrs. Batholommey in pious horror, "surely,
Kathrien, you don't believe----?"

"I have thought of a great many things this evening," replied Kathrien,
vibrant with excitement, yet instinctively lowering her voice so as not
to break in on Willem's semi-trance. "Little things that I've never
noticed before. I'm putting them together. Just as Willem put that
picture together. And I must know who the Other One was."

"Hurry, Willem!" exhorted the Dead Man. "Hurry! Frederik is listening at
the door."

The announcement brought Willem around with a gasp toward the door. He
stared at its panels, quaking, aghast.

"I won't say any more!" he whimper