thought her guilty. The stories concerning her visits to Captain
Atherton's were traced back to their source, resulting in exonerating
her from all blame, while many things, hitherto kept secret,
concerning Anna's engagement, were brought to light, and 'Lena was
universally commended for her efforts to save her cousin from a
marriage so wholly unnatural. Severely was the captain censured for
the part he had taken in deceiving Anna, a part which he frankly
confessed, while he openly espoused the cause of the fugitive.

Mrs. Livingstone, on the contrary, was not generous enough to make a
like confession. Public suspicion pointed to her as the interceptor
of Anna's letters, and though she did not deny it, she wondered what
that had to do with 'Lena, at the same time asking "how they expected
to clear up the Graham affair."

This was comparatively easy, for in the present state of feeling the
neighborhood were willing to overlook many things which had before
seemed dark and mysterious, while Mrs. Graham, for some most
unaccountable reason, suddenly retracted almost everything she had
said, acknowledging that she was too hasty in her conclusions, and
evincing for the missing girl a degree of interest perfectly
surprising to Mrs. Livingstone, who looked on in utter astonishment,
wondering what the end would be. About this time Durward returned,
greatly pained at the existing state of things. In Frankfort, where
'Lena's flight was a topic of discussion, he had met with the depot
agent, who was on his way home, and who spoke of the young girl whose
rather singular manner had attracted his attention. This was
undoubtedly 'Lena, and after a few moments' conversation with his
mother, Durward announced his intention of going after her, at least
as far as Rockford, where he fancied she might have gone.

To his surprise his mother made no objection, but her manner seemed
so strange that he at last asked what was the matter.

"Nothing--nothing in particular," said she, "only I've been thinking
it all over lately, and I've come to the conclusion that perhaps
'Lena is innocent after all."

Oh, how eagerly Durward caught at her words, interrupting her almost
before she had finished speaking, with, "_Do_ you know anything?
Have you heard anything?"

She _had_ heard--she _did_ know; but ere she could reply, the violent
ringing of the door-bell, and the arrival of visitors, prevented her
answer. In a perfect fever of excitem