was shocked and pained at the recital.

"Poor child," she said, sorrowfully, "to think she is really his wife. I
wonder what could have been their motive for keeping it a secret!"

Faith shook her head. She did not care to even conjecture. It was a
subject that cut her heart like a two-edged sword, for, try as she
would, she could not condemn James Denton.

An hour later the maid brought her in a card. Faith could hardly control
her feelings as she saw that her caller was no other than young Denton.

"He must have been following me," she said to her mother, "else how did
he know that I was not at the store?"

Her mother smiled sadly, but did not answer.

Faith entered the parlor as calmly as she could, but her limbs were
trembling and the tears were very near to falling. She knew that she
should spurn the coward, whom her whole soul despised, but she could not
do it; her strength deserted her.

James Denton rose suddenly as she entered the door. He looked like a
ghost--he was so pale and haggard. Before she realized it, Faith
extended her hand, then she drew it back quickly with a sudden
revulsion.

"No, don't offer to shake hands with me," said James Denton, slowly. "I
am not fit to touch the hem of your garment, Miss Marvin."

Faith looked at him as he stood there, pale, hollow-eyed and dejected,
then with almost a cry she burst out impulsively:

"Oh, how could you do such a thing, Mr. Denton? How did you dare to
wrong that poor girl as you have? Don't you know that in so doing you
have branded yourself a coward?"

"So she has told you and saved me from doing so?"

Young Denton breathed a sigh of relief. He had come too late with his
awful confession.

"Yes, she told us, your father and me," said Faith, faintly. "Oh, it is
dreadful--dreadful; I can't understand it!"

"Neither can I," said James Denton, with a tinge of bitterness in his
voice. "I have never understood how I came to do it. I was a fool--an
imbecile--a lunatic, Miss Marvin. I married the girl without even
dreaming that I loved her."

Faith stared at him in surprise as he spoke the words. She was conscious
even of a flutter of happiness as she listened to the confession.

"Then why did you marry her?" she asked at last. She watched eagerly to
hear his answer.

"It was all done for a lark," began the young man. "We were out with
some friends, Miss Brady and I, and I--I suppose we had all been
drinking too much; then some one suggested