d her arm, and drew
his lips close to her ear. "Dick's alive."

She gave a great gasp, and broke away, uncertain whether this were not
some devilish jest.

"Oh, it's true--it's true!" he cried, nodding.

"Alive!--alive! Not dead! Dick!"

"But keep it secret."

"But why? Why?" cried Dora.

"For reasons of my own. Oh, it's true. You needn't look at me like that.
I'm not in my dotage yet."

"Dick alive!--alive!" she cried. She clasped her hands, and swung around
and around in excitement too great to be controlled.

"Yes, alive, but in hiding," said the old man, "until I can get him out
of that ugly scrape--cheaply."

"But where--where? Tell me!"

"That's my secret. You've got to keep your own."

"Oh! but I must tell father."

"Your father knows it already. He's not to be trusted."

"Father knows, and yet--?"

"Yet, he'd let you marry Ormsby. It's a way fathers have when they want
their daughters to marry rich men. So, you see, he's not as honest as I
am. Now, go home like a good girl, and in a day or two you shall hear
from Dick. In the meantime, I tell you this much: The boy is ill and
broken. You've both been fools. If you had come to me like sensible
children, and told me that you wanted to get married, I'd have paid his
debts and transferred the burden of responsibility to you--for he is a
responsibility, and always will be--mark my words!"

"A responsibility I will gladly undertake, grandfather." She dropped on
her knees beside the bed, and clasped his hand with a frankness and
naturalness quite strange and wonderful to him. He raised her fingers to
his lips, and kissed them with unusual emotion.

"That's right, call me grandfather. Good girl--good girl!" He reverted to
his usual snappy manner. "Put on your gloves, girl. Get away home. Keep a
still tongue in your head. Wait till you hear from me. Give me the
letter. Trimmer shall post it."

[Illustration: "OH, GOOD-BYE--GOOD-BYE, YOU DEAR, DEAR OLD MAN!" SHE
CRIED, DROPPING ON HER KNEES BESIDE HIM.--Page 261]

Dora obeyed, and watched him as she drew on her gloves. When the last
button was fastened, she took up her muff.

"Good-bye--good-bye!" he grunted brusquely, offering a bony hand.

"Oh, good-bye--good-bye, you dear, dear old man!" she cried, dropping on
her knees beside him once more, and flinging her arms around his neck,
weeping for joy at the great news.

"Get away! Get away! You'll kill me. Enough--enough for one day."

She kisse