women for reflection: silence breeds thought. What she thought about,
no one knew; but she could hardly have forgotten Manetho. On this last
evening, when at the point of leaving America forever, it would have
been strange had no memory of him passed through her mind.

She had not heard his name in the last four years, and she knew that
he suspected nothing of her whereabouts. Had he ever wished to see
her? she wondered and thought, "He would not know me if he did see
me!" With that came a tumultuous longing once more to look upon him.
Too late! Why had she not thought of this before? Now must her last
memory of him be still as when, disfigured by sudden rage, he turned
upon her and struck her on the bosom. There was the scar yet; the fire
had spared it! It was a keepsake which, as time passed, Salome
strangely learned to love!

It was growing dusk,--time for the children to come in. They were
sitting deep in the abundant grass, weaving necklaces out of
dandelion-stems. Nurse leaned out of window and beckoned to attract
their attention. But either they were too much absorbed to notice
her, or they were wilfully blind; so Nurse rose to go out and fetch
them.

Before reaching the open front door, she stopped short and her heart
seemed to turn over. A tall dark man was leaning over the fence,
talking with the little girl. Nurse shrank within the shadow of the
door, and thence peeped and listened,--as well as her beating pulses
would let her.

"I know where fairy-land is," says the man, in the soft, engaging tone
that the listener so well remembers. "Come! shall we go together and
visit it?"

"He come too?" asks the little maiden, nodding towards the boy, who is
portentously busy over his dandelions.

"He may if he likes," the man answers with a smile. "But we must make
haste, or fairy-land will be shut up!"

It flashes into Salome's head what this portends. She had heard this
man vow revenge on Thor long ago, and she now sees how he means to
keep his oath. He has shrewdly improved the opportunity of Thor's
absence, and has come intending to carry off either his son or his
daughter. Fortune, it seems, had chosen for him the dark-eyed little
girl. See! he stoops and lifts her gently over the wall, and they are
off for fairy-land!

Rush out, Salome! alarm the neighborhood and force the kidnapper to
give up his booty! After Thor's kindness to you, will you be false to
him? Besides, what motive have you for unfaithfu