owly, hesitatingly. He half started as,
looking within the unlightened room, he saw standing silhouetted against
the window front the tall, trimly-clad figure of his ward, and at her
side, equally tall, the dim, vague outline of Aurora, clad in black. The
two stood hand in hand, and for the time made no speech.

"I must go," said Aurora Lane, at length.

Anne would have passed out with her, but her guardian raised a hand. "I
must ask you where you are going?" said he.

"Not with me," said Aurora, quickly. "No, no, you must not." And so,
quickly hurrying down the stair, she herself turned into the open
street.

"Anne," said Judge Henderson, "I am deeply distressed. This all is
terrible--it's an awful thing. Did you hear that funeral march? God! an
awful thing, right when I am in this terrible dilemma. I've just been on
the long distance 'phone trying to get Slattery--I can't find either him
or Reeves; and I've got to act before court actually opens."

"What do you mean by a dilemma?" she asked coldly. "Does any dilemma
last long with you, Uncle, when there is any question of your own
self-interest?"

His face flushed under the cool insolence of her tone. "It's a fine
courtesy you have learned in your schooling!"

"Have you heard all her history now?" he asked after an icy pause.

"Not all of it, no. Enough to admire her, yes. Enough to understand how
this town feels toward her, yes. Why don't you all burn her as a witch
in the public square?"

"You have a bitter tongue, Anne," said he. "You are not like your
sainted mother."

"A while ago you said I was! But my sainted mother, whom I never knew,
never found herself in a situation such as this," rejoined Anne Oglesby.
"At least, while my father lived, she had a man to fend for her. I have
none. We are women only in this case."

"So it was your plan to marry a nameless man? You've sworn he always
shall be nameless." The man's face showed a curious mixture of eagerness
and anxiety. He wished to argue, to expound, but dared not face this
young girl with the icy smile.

"Yes, I've sworn silence. It is a great and grave responsibility," said
she. "I'm sadder for that, that's true. But there are many things in the
world besides just being happy, don't you think? You see, I've no
dilemma at all!"

Judge Henderson passed a hand over his forehead. He had fought hard
cases at the bar, but never had he fought a case like this.

"Anne," said he presently, "I'm very