me message? She won't rest if you don't."

Gertrude pondered. "Tell her," she began slowly, "tell her Mrs. Black is
elected. That is all to-night. Perhaps she will take--other things for
granted."

But when morning, very early morning, came, Captain Dan summoned his
daughter from her room.

"She's wide awake, Gertie," he said, "and she wants to know it all.
You'd better come and tell her."

But Gertrude had been thinking. "I think you had better tell her first,
Daddy," she said. "I think it may be wiser for you to tell her. Things
were said and done at that election which she must not know. They were
so mean, so contemptible that she ought never to know. If I am not there
she cannot ask about them. I will tell you the result and how it came
about and you can tell her. Perhaps that will be sufficient. I hope it
may be. Listen, Daddy."

Daniel listened. "My soul and body!" he exclaimed, when the tale was
ended. "My Godfreys! and those were the folks she figgered were her
friends!"

"Yes."

"And Annette Black--"

"She was the moving spirit in the whole of it, I'm certain."

"My Godfreys! And she--and she--well, I guess maybe Serena'll be willin'
to go back to Trumet NOW. She wanted to go before; 'twas only loyalty to
that gang that kept her from goin'. She's sick of society, and sick of
politics, and sick of Scarford. She said she'd give anything to go back
to the old house and be comfortable same as we used to be; she said--"

"Daddy!" Gertrude seized his arm. She was strangely excited. "Did
she--did Mother really say that?" she demanded eagerly.

"Sure, she said it! Twice she told me so."

"And she meant it?"

"She acted as if she did. Course we both realized 'twould be hard for
you, Gertie, but--"

"Go! Go and tell her about the election. Quick! quick!" She fairly
pushed him from her. "Don't wait," she urged, "go."

Daniel was on his way when she called him back.

"I almost forgot, Daddy, dear," she said repentantly. "I was so gl--I
mean--well, never mind. What I want to say is that if you think the news
will be too great a shock, if you think she is not strong enough to hear
it now--"

Her father interrupted. "She's stronger than I've seen her for a
fortnight," he declared. "And one thing's sure, she won't rest till she
does hear it. I shall tell her, and get it over."

"Then be as gentle as you can, won't you?"

"I'll try. But, Gertie, what did you mean by sayin' you was so--so glad?
That was