father make no sign, realizing how entirely Betty's devotion was given
to Dick and Mr. Ashton and to me, even to this old home, which has been
her pride for so long."

"Poor, poor little Princess! It will almost break her heart," Polly
murmured.

But although Mrs. Ashton wiped a few tears from her eyes, she shook her
head.

"Some day you will find out that hearts are harder to break than you
now believe. I would almost have given my life to have spared Betty
this knowledge, and yet some day she must realize that we love her as
we have always done and that love is the only thing that greatly
counts, after all. There is no reason why Betty should feel any shame
in her relation to Herr Crippen; he has been unfortunate, but there is
nothing else against him. And Esther is a remarkable girl."

"Yes, I know. But what made Betty suspect? How did she find all this
out?" Polly queried.

"Betty told me of her discoveries in the old trunk and asked me a
number of questions. I was confused; I am not in the least sure how I
answered them. Anyhow, she became suspicious and went to Herr Crippen
and then to Miss McMurtry, who, it seems, was in Esther's and her
father's confidence. They gave the child no satisfaction, but only
made her the more uneasy and distressed, until finally Betty remembered
the sealed envelope which Mr. Ashton had always made her keep in her
box of valuable papers. Possibly she has told you that the envelope
was only to be opened when she should come to some crisis in her life
and need advice or information. Betty opened the envelope and it
contained the papers proving her legal adoption by us and her right in
the equal division of whatever property either Mr. Ashton or I might
have. Now, Polly, that is all," Mrs. Ashton concluded. "But I feel
that if Betty does not soon come to me and put her arms about me and
call me 'mother' as she always has, that I shan't be able to bear
things either. Won't you find her and bring her here to me?"

And Polly, glad to be away to battle with her own emotions, kissed her
older friend and vanished. But Betty was not in her room, and as there
seemed to be no clue to work upon, it was difficult to decide just
where she should begin the search.

CHAPTER XXII

SUNRISE CABIN

Betty was not with any one of their acquaintances, for Polly telephoned
everybody they knew before leaving the Ashton house.

Then a possibility suddenly dawning upon her, she h