erhaps I shall send this one. It is as good as
I can do. It says everything now except that I am profoundly unhappy,
that I shall never see you again--and to wish you happiness under the
circumstances fills my throat with a kind of suffocation. And so I write
farewell--and can hardly mean it--and yet it must be farewell."

A kind of calmness came over me as I read the last word. There are
anxiety and fear, and stir and ministration while the sick are alive.
But with death there is quiet in the house. Calmness comes to those who
have striven to heal and to save. And with the words "farewell" before
my eyes a dumb resignation came into my heart. Dorothy was gone from me
and forever! But here was my life left to me to work out, and my
ambition to pursue. I grew suddenly strong and full of will. I walked to
the door and gazed for some minutes over the prairie. Then I saddled a
horse and went to find Reverdy.

It was something to see the brother of the woman I loved; but I must
find Zoe if possible.

Reverdy was off somewhere with Douglas. Douglas was working upon the
plan of introducing the political convention system in Illinois, as it
prevailed in New York. He wished to step from the state's attorneyship
into the legislatureship. He had newspaper supporters; he had many
friends, as well as many foes. But he was fighting his way.

I talked with Sarah of my trip to New Orleans and played with little
Amos. I asked Sarah at last about Zoe. Reverdy had already done all he
could to trace her. The stage driver had been questioned, but knew
nothing. Some one had seen a girl, probably Zoe, walking north from
town. Outside of that nothing had been heard. The facilities for finding
her were so primitive. How could posters be sent around, how phrased?
How could constables and sheriffs in the surrounding counties be
notified? And if an advertisement should be published in the local
newspaper where would it reach? Upon what basis could I seek to regain
Zoe, if she did not wish to return? Sarah and I discussed these
problems. But if she had met foul play how could that be discovered? I
seemed quite helpless, yet since it was the best I could do I placed an
advertisement with the newspaper. Then telling Sarah that I wished to
see Reverdy, I returned to the farm.

CHAPTER XX

I had much to do, and work kept me from brooding. It was three days
after I had gone to find Reverdy that he came to see me, bringing
Douglas. My firs