n you may put to me,' she said;
'if--if--it is not about Mr. Stanwick.'

"'It is about yourself, Daisy,' I said, gravely. 'Tell me truthfully,
child, are you really a wife?'

"She caught her breath with a hard, gasping sound; but her blue eyes
met mine unflinchingly.

"'Yes, madame, I am, in the sight of God and man; but I am such an
unhappy one. I can not tell you why. My heart is breaking. I want to
go back to Allendale!'

"'Is that where you live, Daisy?'

"'Yes,' she said; 'I am going to start to-morrow morning.'"

"How strange!" echoed the two sisters.

"The strangest part of the affair is yet to come. The little creature
drew from her pocket a twenty-dollar bill.

"'You have been kind and good to me,' she said. I must take enough to
carry me back to Allendale. You shall have all the rest, madame.'

"'Put your money back into your pocket, Daisy,' I replied. 'Your
husband has already paid your bill. He begged me to accept it in
advance on the night you came.'

"She gave a great start, and a flood of hot color rushed over her
face.

"'I--I--did not know,' she said, faintly, 'how very good Mr. Stanwick
has been to me.'"

The three sisters looked at one another in silent wonder over the rims
of their spectacles and shook their heads ominously.

* * * * *

Dear reader, we must return at this period to Rex--poor, broken-hearted
Rex--whom we left in the company of Pluma Hurlhurst in the spacious
parlor of Whitestone Hall.

"Daisy Brooks is at this moment with Lester Stanwick! You must learn
to forget her, Rex," she repeated, slowly.

A low cry escaped from Rex's lips, and he recoiled from her as though
she had struck him a heavy blow. His heart seemed fairly stifled in
his bosom, and he trembled in every limb with repressed excitement.

"Here is a letter from Madame Whitney," she continued. "Read it for
yourself, Rex. You see, she says: 'Daisy fled. It has been since
ascertained she went to Elmwood, a station some sixty miles from here,
where she now is, at the cottage of the Burton sisters, in company
with her lover. I shall not attempt to claim her--her retribution must
come from another source.'"

The words seemed to stand out in letters of fire.

"Oh, my little love," he cried, "there must be some terrible mistake!
My God! my God! there must be some horrible mistake--some foul
conspiracy against you, my little sweetheart, my darling love!"

He rose t