claws, and the half
keen, half sleepy glances of her green-blue eyes, which irritated him
beyond measure, and he was ashamed of being irritated. It implied a
power over him, and yet it was certainly not a physical power. It was
subtle and pertained to spirit. He realised, as did many in
Fairbridge, a strange influence, defying reason and will, which this
small woman with her hidden swiftness had over nearly everybody with
whom she came in contact. It had nothing whatever to do with sex. She
would have produced it in the same degree, had she not been in the
least attractive. It was compelling, and at the same time irritating.

Von Rosen in his Morris chair after the tea welcomed the intrusion of
Jane Riggs, which dispelled his thought of Mrs. Wilbur Edes. Jane
stood beside the chair, a rigid straight length of woman with a white
apron starched like a board, covering two thirds of her, and waited
for interrogation.

"What is it, Jane?" asked Von Rosen.

Jane Riggs replied briefly. "Outlandish young woman out in the
kitchen," she said with distinct disapproval, yet with evident
helplessness before the situation.

Von Rosen started. "Where is the dog?"

"Licking her hands. Every time I told her to go, Jack growled. Mebbe
you had better come out yourself, Mr. Von Rosen."

When Von Rosen entered the kitchen, he saw a little figure on the
floor in a limp heap, with the dog frantically licking its hands,
which were very small and brown and piteously outspread, as if in
supplication.

"Mebbe you had better call up the doctor on the telephone; she seems
to have swooned away," said Jane Riggs. At the same time she made one
long stride to the kitchen sink, and water. Von Rosen looked aghast
at the stricken figure, which was wrapped in a queer medley of
garments. He also saw on the floor near by a bulging suitcase.

"She is one of them pedlars," said Jane Riggs, dashing water upon the
dumb little face. "I rather guess you had better call up the doctor
on the telephone. She don't seem to be coming to easy and she may
have passed away."

Von Rosen gasped, then he looked pitifully at the poor little figure,
and ran back to his study to the telephone. To his great relief as he
passed the window, he glanced out, and saw Doctor Sturtevant's
automobile making its way cautiously over the icy street. Then for
the first time he remembered that he had been due at that time about
a matter of a sick parishioner. He opened the front