giving him so much of her confidence.

Still in silence, he opens and reads the letter, then lays it down and
thinks.

At last she grows impatient. "Well," she exclaims, "are you, too,
stricken with something nameless?"

He leans toward her, his arm resting upon the table between them, his
eyes fixed gravely upon her face,

"Miss Wardour, does your faith in your friend justify you in complying
with her wishes?"

"Most assuredly," with a look of surprise.

"In spite of to-day's events?"

"In spite of _any thing_!"

He draws a long, sighing breath. "Oh," he says, softly, "it would be
worth something to possess _your_ friendship. Now,--do you really wish
for my advice?"

"Have I not asked for it, or, rather, demanded it, like a true
highwayman?"

"Then here is your case: You have a friend; you trust her fully; nothing
can shake your faith in her. Suddenly, she does a thing, shocking,
incomprehensible, and, in doing it, asks you not to question, for she
can not explain; asks you to think of her kindly; to trust her still.
Here is a test for your friendship. Others may pry, drag her name about,
torture her with their curiosity; she has appealed to you. Respect her
secret. Let her bury it if she will, and can; you can not help her. If
she has become that bad man's wife, she is past human help. Undoubtedly
there is a mystery here; undoubtedly she has acted under the control of
some power outside herself; but she has taken the step, and--it is
_done_!"

She draws a long, sighing breath. "You are right," she says, wearily,
"your wisdom is simple, but it _is_ wisdom, and I thank you for it; but,
oh! if they could have been intercepted. If I could have known--have
guessed."

He smiles oddly. "You do not consider," he says, "how cunningly their
plans were laid; doubtless they have been waiting some such opportunity.
At twelve o'clock, Mr. Lamotte and wife started for the city."

"In my service, alas!"

"At one, Frank Lamotte mounted his horse and rode eastward."

"Alas! also to serve me."

"At two o'clock, the coast was clear, and the flight commenced. When it
became known, search was made for Evan, as the only member of the family
within reach of a warning voice. They found him in a beer saloon, in a
state of beastly intoxication."

"Oh!"

"Of course he was surrounded by a crowd, eager to see and to hear how he
would receive the news; and the work of sobering him up was at once
commenced. It took a long t