ile she slept Miss Maxwell peeped
into the room. Seeing no one, apparently, in the dim light, she went out
again. Evidently the sophomore had not waited, she decided, so she said
nothing to Miss Walker about it.

Half an hour slipped noiselessly by; the sun set. For a few minutes the
western window reflected a deep crimson light; then the shadows deepened
and the room was almost dark.

"Never mind the lights, Mary. I'll see Miss Walker in her office at five
thirty," said a voice at the door. "She expects me and I'll wait here
until it's time."

"Very well, sir," answered the maid.

Someone came softly into the room and sat down near the window, well
removed from the sleeping Molly. Again the stillness was unbroken and
the young girl, sitting in the antique chair in which noble lords and
ladies and perhaps cardinals and archbishops had sat, began to dream.
She thought the dark-haired girl in the photograph was standing beside
her. She wore a long, straight, black dress that seemed to fade off into
the shadows. Molly remembered the face perfectly. There was a sorrowful
look on it now. Then suddenly the sadness changed inexplicably and the
face was the face in the photograph, the peaceful calmness returned and
the eyes looked straight into Molly's, as they did from the picture.

Molly started slightly and opened her eyes.

"I must have been asleep," she thought.

"My dear Edwin," Miss Walker's voice was saying, "this is terrible. I am
so shocked and sorry. What's to be done?"

"I don't know. I haven't been able to think yet, it was all so sudden. I
had just heard when I telephoned you half an hour ago. It's a great blow
to the family. Grace is with them now, and she's a tower of strength,
you know."

"What's to be done about Judith? She was getting on so well this year. I
think her punishment last winter did her good."

"She did appear to be in a better frame of mind," said Professor Green
drily.

"Is she to be told at once?"

"She has to be told about the money, of course, but the disgraceful part
is to be kept from her as much as possible."

Molly's heart began to beat. What should she do? Make her presence known
to Professor Green and Miss Walker? But how very embarrassing that would
be, to break suddenly into this intimate conversation and confess that
she had overheard a family secret.

"The thing has been kept quiet so far," went on the Professor. "The
newspapers, strange to say, have not got hold o