Kenton, in order to distinguish her
from her own mother. "Now what shall I say?"

"Simply this," answered Richard. "That I knew of what had happened in
New York, and when I met him this morning I cowhided him. Ugh!"

"Well, that won't do, Dick. You've got to tell all about it. Your mother
won't understand."

"Then you write what you please, and read it to me. It makes me sick to
think of it." Richard closed his eyes, and Mary wrote:

"DEAR MOTHER KENTON,--I am sitting by Richard, writing at his
request, about what he has done. He received a letter from New York
telling him of the Bittridges' performances there, and how that
wretch had insulted and abused you all. He bought a cowhide;
meaning to go over to Ballardsville, and use it on him there, but B.
came over on the Accommodation this morning, and Richard met him at
the station. He did not attempt to resist, for Richard took him
quite by surprise. Now, Mother Kenton, you know that Richard
doesn't approve of violence, and the dear, sweet soul is perfectly
broken-down by what he had to do. But he had to do it, and he
wishes you to know at, once that he did it. He dreads the effect
upon Ellen, and we must leave it to your judgment about telling her.
Of course, sooner or later she must find it out. You need not be
alarmed about Richard. He is just nauseated a little, and he will
be all right as soon as his stomach is settled. He thinks you ought
to have this letter before you sail, and with affectionate good-byes
to all, in which Dick joins,

"Your loving daughter,

"Mary KENTON."

"There! Will that do?"

"Yes, that is everything that can be said," answered Richard, and Mary
kissed him gratefully before sealing her letter.

"I will put a special delivery on it," she said, and her precaution
availed to have the letter delivered to Mrs. Kenton the evening the
family left the hotel, when it was too late to make any change in their
plans, but in time to give her a bad night on the steamer, in her doubt
whether she ought to let the family go, with this trouble behind them.

But she would have had a bad night on the steamer in any case, with the
heat, and noise, and smell of the docks; and the steamer sailed with her
at six o'clock the next morning with the doubt still open in her mind.
The judge had not been of the least use to her in helping solve it, and
she had not