this, it appeared, and on the morning of your
uncle's death Abner was seen crossing the pasture from Poplar Spring
with his gun on his shoulder."

"It's an ugly story all round," remarked Gay quietly, "and I wish to
heaven that I were out of it. How has my poor mother stood it?"

"She has known very little about it," Mr. Chamberlayne answered, while
his jutting eyebrows twitched nervously as he turned away. "Your mother,
my dear boy, is one of those particularly angelic characters from whose
presence even the thought of evil is banished. You have only to look
into her face to discern how pure and spotless she has kept her soul.
My old friend Jonathan was very devoted to her. She represented, indeed,
the spiritual influence in his life, and there was no one on earth whose
respect or affection he valued so highly. It was his consideration for
her alone that prevented him from making a most unfortunate marriage."

"The girl died insane, didn't she?"

"It was a distressing--a most distressing case; but we must remember,
in rendering our verdict, that if Janet Merryweather had upheld the
principles of her sex, it would never have happened."

"We'll rest it there, then--but what of her daughter? The child could
hardly have been accessory before the fact, I suppose?"

An expression of suffering patience came into the old gentleman's face,
and he averted his gaze as he had done before the looming countenance of
Kesiah.

"Your uncle rarely spoke to me of her," he answered, "but I have reason
to know that her existence was a constant source of distress to him. He
was most anxious both to protect your mother and to provide generously
for the future of Janet's daughter.

"Yet I understand that there was no mention of her in his will."

"This omission was entirely on your mother's account. The considerable
property--representing a third of his entire estate--which was left in
trust to me for a secret purpose, will go, of course, to the girl. In
the last ten years this property has practically doubled in value, and
Molly will take possession of the income from it when she reaches her
twenty-first birthday. The one condition is that at Reuben's death she
shall live with your aunt."

"Ah," said Jonathan, "I begin to see."

"At the time, of course, he believed that your mother would survive
him only a few months, and his efforts to shield her from any painful
discoveries extended even after his death. His wish was that the