t down, my dear."

These two understood each other perfectly. Sometimes the old lady drank
coffee with Gertrude and then she had many questions to answer. In this
way it had come out quite by chance that she had been a schoolmate of
Gertrude's grandmother.

Sometimes they went to walk together and Gertrude learned to know the
village people, found out who the poor ones were and a little of the
history of the place. Aunt Rosa's pictures were rather roughly drawn,
she did not like every one, but Linden was her idol next to a young
niece of hers.

"He is so nice," she used to say, "he is so courteous to the old as
well as the young."

And Gertrude returned the compliment by declaring she could not imagine
the house without Aunt Rosa.

To-day, the young mistress of the house could not stay long quietly in
the rose-room. It was strange, but she felt anxious about her husband.
If only he had had no accident with the new horses, she thought, as she
went out on the veranda.

The blooming garden lay quiet and still before her in the mid-day
sunshine. Suddenly a shadow came over her face--there, under the
chestnut-trees, where the sunbeams broke through the leaves in golden
flecks. There was no doubt of it--it was he, the man in Aunt Rosa's
room. How happened he to penetrate into the garden? Where had she heard
his name before? She started as if she had touched something
unpleasant. "Wolff,"--it was the name on the card that came with the
flowers on her wedding eve. Yes, to be sure. But she had _seen_ the
man, too, somewhere before--where was it? Perhaps in the factory with
Arthur, very likely.

She raised her head and her eyes began to sparkle. There was the
carriage just turning in at the gate. _He_ was driving and on the front
seat beside the expected guest sat Uncle Henry, waving his red
handkerchief.

The gentlemen were all in the best of humor--it was a lively meeting.

"It looks something like here now, Frank," said the little judge,
clapping Linden on the shoulder and shaking hands with his wife. He was
so pleased that he even inquired for Aunt Rosa.

"Do you know, child," said Uncle Henry by way of excuse for his
presence, "I should not be here so soon again, but the landlord of the
hotel died this morning--and I couldn't eat there, it was out of the
question. You have some asparagus?"

"I shall not tell any tales out of school, uncle."

She put her arm in that of the old gentleman and went up the steps w