explained to the servants the day after
the excitement that Miss Betty had become temporarily deranged, and
later that she had escaped from the private hospital where she had been
taken, and they were doing all in their power to find her. In reply to
Candace's gimlet-like questions she had given the name of a hospital
where she said Betty had been taken at first, and everything seemed
altogether plausible. But as the days went by and the horror of her
absence grew into the soul of the lonely woman whose care Betty had been
for years, Candace became more and more restive and suspicious. It was
these suspicions which sent her on her investigations, and made her
uncannily wise to pry open secret locks and cover all trace of her
absence after she had gleaned what knowledge she sought.

On this particular evening her excitement was due to having come across
some correspondence bearing the signature of a man to whom a certain
letter had been addressed, which had been entrusted to her charge by
Betty's dying father and taken from her by his wife. For years she had
been worried about that, and yet she had no absolute reason to doubt
that the madam had not sent it to its destination, except as she knew
its contents and read Mrs. Stanhope's character beneath the excellent
camouflage. But to-night, even the briefest glance through the bundle of
letters showed plainly that those men in Boston never knew the master's
wishes, or at least, if they knew them, they were utterly disregarding
them.

Aroused on one point, her suspicions began to extend further. Where was
Betty? Did her stepmother know, and was she somewhere suffering, alone,
perhaps being neglected because she had not done as they wanted her to
do? If the stepmother was capable of destroying a letter, was she
perhaps not also capable of putting Betty out of the way? There were
points of detail which of course did not harmonize with any such theory
as this. Candace was no logician, but she was keen enough to feel that
something was wrong. As for that theory of Betty's insanity she scouted
it with a harsh laugh whenever it was mentioned in her hearing.
Betty--keen, sweet, trusting little Betty _insane_! Nonsense! It was
unthinkable. If she was in an asylum anywhere she was there without
warrant, and it behoved her faithful old nurse to find a way out for
her. This she meant to do against all odds, for she was thoroughly
aroused now.

She went to the window and looked down