from a business
trip, cheerfully entered his office, expecting to behold there the
radiant face of Edith. To his great disappointment, she was absent;
and her absence was explained in the appended letter, which he read
with dismay and dejection.

"DEAR MR. BRYANT:--Inclosed you will find the amount which
you so kindly loaned me on Monday, and without which I
should have been in sore straits. On reaching home that day,
I found my mother dying. She was buried yesterday afternoon,
and I am now entirely alone in the world. I find that
circumstances will not permit me to return to your employ,
and when you receive this I shall have left New York. Pray
do not think that because I do not see you and thank you
personally before I go, I am ungrateful for all your recent
and unexampled kindness to me. I am not, I assure you; I
shall never forget it--it will be one of the sacred memories
of my life, that in you, in a time of dire need, I found a
true friend and helper.

Sincerely yours,
EDITH ALLANDALE."

The lawyer lost no time in hastening to Edith's late residence. There
he learned from Kate O'Brien that Edith had already gone, but she
knew not her destination. He stated that he wished to consult the
young lady upon a business matter and that if Mrs. O'Brien should
learn of her address, it would be considered a great favor if she
would bring it to him. This the kind-hearted Irish woman agreed to do,
and with a heavy heart the young lawyer returned to his place of
business.

Meanwhile, Edith was being wheeled along the rails toward her
destination. When the train reached New Haven, feeling faint, for she
had not been able to eat much breakfast, she got out to purchase a
lunch.

She entered the station and bought some sandwiches, together with a
little fruit, and then started to return to the train.

Just in front of her she noticed a fine-looking, richly-clad couple
who were evidently bound in the same direction.

The gentleman opened the door for his companion to pass out, but as
she did so, the heel of her boot caught upon the threshold, and she
would have fallen heavily to the platform if Edith had not sprung
forward and caught her by the hand which she threw out to save
herself.

As it was, she was evidently badly hurt, for she turned very white and
a sharp cry of pain was forced from her lips.

"Are yo