rush of sickening dread, that Miss Avery had told him Martha and
Edward were going away that day to visit a sister. He rushed blindly
across the lawn again, through the little side gate he had never
passed before and down the street home. Uncle Walter was just opening
the door of his car.

"Uncle Walter--come--come," sobbed Jims, clutching frantically at his
hand. "Miss Avery's dead--dead--oh, come quick."

"_Who_ is dead?"

"Miss Avery--Miss Avery Garland. She's lying on the grass over there
in her garden. And I love her so--and I'll die, too--oh, Uncle Walter,
_come_."

Uncle Walter looked as if he wanted to ask some questions, but he said
nothing. With a strange face he hurried after Jims. Miss Avery was
still lying there. As Uncle Walter bent over her he saw the broad red
scar and started back with an exclamation.

"She is dead?" gasped Jims.

"No," said Uncle Walter, bending down again--"no, she has only
fainted, Jims--overcome by the heat, I suppose. I want help. Go and
call somebody."

"There's no one home here to-day," said Jims, in a spasm of joy so
great that it shook him like a leaf.

"Then go home and telephone over to Mr. Loring's. Tell them I want the
nurse who is there to come here for a few minutes."

Jims did his errand. Uncle Walter and the nurse carried Miss Avery
into the house and then Jims went back to the blue room. He was so
unhappy he didn't care where he went. He wished something _would_ jump
at him out of the bed and put an end to him. Everything was discovered
now and he would never see Miss Avery again. Jims lay very still on
the window seat. He did not even cry. He had come to one of the griefs
that lie too deep for tears.

"I think I must have been put under a curse at birth," thought poor
Jims.

* * * * *

Over at the stone house Miss Avery was lying on the couch in her room.
The nurse had gone away and Dr. Walter was sitting looking at her. He
leaned forward and pulled away the hand with which she was hiding the
scar on her face. He looked first at the little gold ring on the hand
and then at the scar.

"Don't," she said piteously.

"Avery--why did you do it?--_why_ did you do it?"

"Oh, you know--you must know now, Walter."

"Avery, did you break my heart and spoil my life--and your own--simply
because your face was scarred?"

"I couldn't bear to have you see me hideous," she moaned. "You had
been so proud of my beauty. I--I--thou