remarkably cool.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, gravely. "I'll be glad to tell you who I am,
if you'd like to have me. I'd have done it before, but I thought there
weren't any use troublin' you with my affairs. But, just a minute--"
he hesitated--"I haven't made any mistake, have I? I understood your
steward--the feller with the brass buttons, to say that Abijah Warren's
children lived here. That's so, ain't it? If not, then I _am_ mistaken."

Mrs. Dunn regarded him with indignation. "You are," she said coldly.
"The family of the late Mr. Rodgers Warren lives here. I presume the
slight resemblance in names misled you. Edwards, show the gentleman
out."

"Just one moment more, ma'am. It was Rodgers Warren's children I was
lookin' for. A. Rodgers Warren he called himself, didn't he? Yes. Well,
the A stood for Abijah; that was his Christian name. And he left
two children, Caroline and Stephen? Good! I thought for a jiffy I'd
blundered in where I had no business, but it's all right. You see,
ma'am, I'm their uncle from South Denboro, Massachusetts. My name is
Elisha Warren."

Mrs. Dunn gasped. Edwards, peering over her shoulder, breathed heavily.

"You are--their _uncle_?" repeated the lady.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm 'Bije's brother. Oh, don't worry. It's all right. And
don't fret yourself about me, either. I'll set right down out here
and read my paper and wait till Caroline or Stephen get home. They're
expectin' me. Mr. Graves, the lawyer, told 'em I was comin'."

He calmly seated himself and adjusted his spectacles. Mrs. Dunn stared
at him, then at Edwards. After an instant's indecision, she stepped
back into the library and walked to the window. She beckoned, with an
agitated finger, to the butler, who joined her.

"Edwards," she whispered, "did you hear what he said?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Edwards, wide-eyed and wondering.

"Is it true?"

"I don't know, ma'am."

"Did Mr. Warren have a brother?"

"I didn't know that he had, ma'am."

"Do you--do you think it likely that he would have a brother like--like
_that_?"

"I don't know, ma'am."

"Was Miss Caroline expecting him?"

"I don't know, ma'am. She--"

"Oh, you don't know anything! You're impossible. Go away!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Edwards thankfully; and went. Mrs. Corcoran Dunn
stood for some minutes by the window, thinking, or trying to think a way
to the truth in this astounding development. Of course the man _might_
be a lunatic who had gained his informati