hen she opened the door.

For an instant she stood as though transfixed. Was she dreaming, or
could she actually believe her own eyes? A sudden faintness seized her.
Everything turned dark. She swayed slightly, then with a little sobbing
cry of, "Fairy Godmother! Miss Wilder!" she ran straight into Mrs.
Gray's outstretched arms.

That throbbing, wistful cry brought the tears to Miss Wilder's eyes,
while President Morton took off his glasses and wiped them with his
handkerchief. Great tears were rolling down Mrs. Gray's cheeks which she
made no effort to hide. "My little girl," she said brokenly. "How dared
that dreadful woman treat you so shabbily?"

It was at least ten minutes before the three women could settle down to
the exchanging of questions and explanations. President Morton, the soul
of old-fashioned courtesy, beamed his approval on them.

"Now my dear," said Miss Wilder at last, "I wish you to begin at the
very beginning of this affair, and tell us just what has happened."

Grace began with the coming of Jean Brent to Overton and of her refusal
to be frank concerning her affairs. Then she went on to the sale of her
wardrobe which Jean had conducted in her absence and her final
revelation of her secret to Grace after the latter had commanded it.
Then she told of her promise to Jean not to betray her secret and of the
summons sent them by Miss Wharton, to come to her office.

"But what was this secret, Grace?" questioned Miss Wilder gravely. "We
have the right to know."

The color flooded Grace's pale face. She hesitated, then with an
impulsive, "Of course you have the right to know," she went on, "Jean
Brent's father and mother died when she was a child. She was brought up
by an aunt who is very rich. This aunt gave her everything in the world
she wanted but one thing. She would not allow Jean to go to college. She
did not believe in the higher education for girls. She believed that a
young girl should learn French, music and deportment at a boarding
school. Then when she was graduated she must marry and settle down. One
of the friends of Jean's aunt had a son who was in love with Jean. He
had been babied by his mother until he had grown to be a hateful,
worthless young man, and Jean despised him. Her aunt told her that she
could take her choice between marrying this young man or leaving her
house forever. She gave Jean a week to decide. Then she went into the
country to spend a week end with this young