er her withered cheeks,
Prudence joined Cap'n Ira in gazing at the other girl.

She rose slowly to her feet. Something like strength came back to
her; even into her voice, as Sheila again spoke. Nor did she look at
Ida May, but fixed her feverish gaze upon the two old people.

"What--what she says is true--as far as I am concerned. But--but
Tunis did not know. It is not his fault. I was desperate. I heard
what he said to--to Miss Bostwick. I chanced to overhear it. I was
desperate; I hated the city. I was willing to take a chance for the
sake of getting among people who would be kind to me--who were
good."

"Bah!" exclaimed Ida May raucously. "You're not fit to go among good
people!"

Sheila did not heed her. She spoke slowly--haltingly, but what she
said held the old people silent.

"Tunis is not to blame. I told him this--this girl"--she pointed to
Ida May, but did not look at her--"was not the right Miss Bostwick.
I said that I was the girl he wanted to see. I made him think so. I
tricked him. Don't listen to her!" she added wildly, as the enraged
Ida May would have interposed. "Tunis thought she had talked to him
just for a joke. I made him believe that. I--I would have done
anything then to get away from the city and to come down here.
Perhaps he was at fault because he did not take more time to find
out about me--to be sure I was the right girl. But he cannot be
blamed for anything else. I tell you, it was all my fault."

"I don't believe it!" snapped Ida May.

But Cap'n Ira put her aside with his hand, and there was returned
firmness in his voice.

"Is this the truth? Are you what she says you are?" he asked.

"Oh, don't, Ira!" gasped his sobbing wife. "She--"

"We've got to learn the straight of it," said the old man sternly.
"If we've been bamboozled, we've got to know it. Now's the time for
her to speak."

Sheila was still gazing at him. She nodded, indicating that his
question was already answered.

"You--you mean to say you stole--like she says?"

"I was arrested in Hoskin & Marl's. They accused me of stealing.
Yes."

She said no more. She turned, when he did not speak again, and
walked slowly to the stairway door. She opened it and went up,
closing the door behind her.

It was Ida May who moved first when she was gone. She jumped up once
more and started for the stairway.

"I'll tell her what's what!" she ejaculated. "The gall of her to
come here and say she was me and get my rightful