go in. Lean on my arm. Don't be afraid
to lean heavily. I am very strong," said Emma; and drawing the poor
lady's emaciated hand through her own arm she led her into the house.

She took her first into the family sitting-room, where there was a
cheerful fire burning, which the chilly mountain air, in this spring
weather, made very acceptable.

She placed her in a comfortable cushioned rocking-chair and proceeded to
take off the traveling-bonnet and shawl with her own hands, saying:

"You must get well rested and refreshed here before you go up to your
room. You look very tired."

"I am very weak, my dear," answered the lady, in a faint voice.

"I see that you are. I am very sorry to see you so feeble; but we will
make you stronger here in our exhilarating mountain air. If I had known
that you would come by this train I should have gone to the railway
station in person to meet you," said Emma, kindly.

Mrs. Fanning turned her great black eyes upon the young lady and stared
at her in surprise.

"Why, did you not get my letter?" she inquired.

"No," said Emma. "I anxiously expected to hear from you from day to day,
but heard nothing either by letter or telegram."

"That is strange! I wrote to you three days ago that I should be at
Wendover this morning, and so, when I found your carriage there, I
thought that you had sent for me."

"It was very fortunate that the carriage was there, and I am very glad
of it; but it was not in fact sent to meet you, for, not having received
your letter, I did not know that you would arrive to-day. The carriage
was sent to take some visitors who had been staying with us, and were
going away, to the railway station. It is a wonder Jerome had not
explained this to you. He is so talkative," said Emma, smiling.

"I never talk to strange servants," gravely replied the lady. "But I
will tell you how it happened. I really arrived by the earliest train,
that got in at Wendover at five o'clock in the morning. There was no
carriage from Blue Cliffs waiting for me at the railway station, and, in
fact, no carriage from any place, except the hack from the Reindeer
Hotel. So I got into that, and, having previously left word with the
station-master to send the Blue Cliffs carriage after me to the Reindeer
when it should come, I went on to the hotel to get breakfast and to lie
down and rest. But when half the forenoon had passed away without any
arrival for me, I began to grow anxious, fearing t