d he had followed that afternoon.

"You may go as fast as you like, I am in a hurry," was Cousin Jasper's
unexpected permission, so that Oliver, nothing loath, let out the car
to its full speed. It was very dark, for the moon had gone under a
cloud. The road, showing vaguely white through the blackness, was
nearly empty and the tree trunks flashed by, looking unreal in the
glare of the lamps, like the cardboard trees of a scene on the stage.
The big car hummed and the wind sang in Oliver's ears, but for only
the briefest moment, for they seemed to come immediately to a
crossroad, where Cousin Jasper bade him turn. A slower pace was
necessary here, for the going was rough and uneven, yet not so
difficult as that of the narrower lane in which they presently found
themselves. Here the machine lurched among the deep ruts, rustled
through high grass and low-hanging trees, and finally came to a stop
before a gate.

"No, wait here," directed Cousin Jasper as Oliver made a move to get
out. "I shall not be gone very long."

He climbed out and jerked at the gate, which, one hinge being gone,
opened reluctantly to let him pass. He stalked away, a tall, awkward
figure in the brilliant shaft of light from the lamps, walking with a
fierce, determined dignity up the path that disappeared into the dark.
Oliver felt a sudden rush of pity for him and of shame that he had so
nearly deserted him.

"It must be hard," he thought, "to be so miserable and anxious, and to
have no one to talk it over with. And I do wonder what is the matter?"

He waited an hour--and another. He had dimmed his lamps and could see
vaguely the outline of a house, with one dull light in a window. A dog
barked somewhere beyond the gate, and presently a child began crying.
It cried a very long time, then at last was quiet, but still no one
came. Oliver fell asleep finally against the comfortable leather
cushions, and slumbered he knew not how long before he was aroused by
the protesting creak of the broken gate. He thought, as he was waking,
that a man's voice, high-pitched with anger, was talking in the dark,
but when he had rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he saw no one but
Cousin Jasper.

"I had not thought it would be so long," was all his cousin said as he
got in, and after that there was no word spoken until they entered
their own gate and rolled up to the door.

"You drive well for a boy. Good night," said Cousin Jasper as he
climbed out and entered the