shamed I was, Ned!" she exclaimed, tears springing to
her eyes; "I felt that you had a right to beat me if you wanted to, and I
shouldn't have said a word if you'd done it."

"But you couldn't have feared that?" he said, with a pained look, and
coloring deeply.

"No, oh, _no, indeed_! I know you would _never_ do that, but I dreaded
what you might say, and did not at all expect you would be so kind and
forgiving and loving to me.

"But how was I brought up here? I knew nothing from the instant you were
at my side on the door-step till I saw you coming in with the lamp."

"In your husband's arms."

"What a heavy load for you to carry!" she said, looking at him with
concern.

"No, not at all; I did it with perfect ease, except for the darkness and
the fear that you might recover consciousness on the way and scream out
with affright before you discovered who your captor was."

"My husband, my dear, kind husband!" she murmured, softly stroking his
face as he bent over her to press a kiss upon her forehead.

"My darling little wife," he returned.

Then after a moment's silent exchange of caresses,

"Would you mind telling me where you were going and what you intended to
do?" he asked with a half smile.

"I have no right to refuse, if you require a full confession," she said,
half playfully, half tearfully, and blushing deeply.

"I don't require it, but should like to have it, nevertheless; for I
confess my curiosity is piqued," he said with an amused, yet tender look
and tone.

"There isn't really very much to tell," she sighed, "only that because I
was dreadfully unhappy and had worked myself up to believing that I was a
hated wife, a burden and annoyance to my husband, I thought it would be an
act of noble self-sacrifice to run away, and--O Ned, please don't laugh at
me!"

"I am not laughing, love," he said in soothing, half-tremulous tones,
taking her in his arms and holding her close, as he had done the night
before. "How could I laugh at you for being willing to sacrifice
everything for me? But that's not all?"

"Not quite. It came to me like a flash about the stage passing so near at
two o'clock in the morning, and that I could get away then without being
seen, and after I was in it make up my mind where I would get out."

"And how did you expect to support yourself?"

"There was some money in my purse--you never let it get empty, Ned--and--I
thought I wouldn't need any very long."

"Wouldn't? why