e done. Now if I were you I'd hold up my right
hand and swear not to come here again until I stepped over the threshold
with Tom Gray. Every time, after we pay our respects to Haven Home, you
go away from it with the expression in your eyes of an early Christian
martyr going to the stake. Not that you ever complain. If you went
around weeping and wailing and gnashing your teeth, I'd be better
satisfied. But you don't. Your face simply takes on a hurt, despairing
look that makes me sick at heart."

"I know it isn't good for me to come here," was Grace's frank admission.
"Each time I say, 'This must be the last,' and yet somehow I can't stay
away. My whole heart is bound up in Haven Home. It's the most wonderful
and at the same time the saddest place in the world to me. And this
picture! It fascinates me. When Tom and I chose it, we didn't dream that
Fate was hurrying to overtake us."

"I'd turn it toward the wall," counseled Elfreda gruffly. "It's
beautiful, but it gives me the creeps. It upsets you more than anything
else in this house. Every time you come here, I've noticed you go
straight to it. I can see that it's a Jonah. Do you give me leave to do
the reversing act?" Elfreda grinned boyishly, yet her round blue eyes
were purposeful. It would have given her infinite pleasure to summarily
bundle the offending painting into Upton Wood, leaving it to the mercy
of the elements.

"You may turn it toward the wall if you like." Grace sighed as she tore
her gaze from the painting. "It's rather heavy, though, and you will
have a hard time reaching up to it."

"Oh, that's nothing. There's a step ladder on the back porch. I noticed
it the last time we were over here." Elfreda hurried from the room to
wrest the ladder from its lowly haunt. Returning she set it in place
before the painting and climbed the four steps to the top with joyful
alacrity.

Grace followed the movements of her energetic companion with moody
interest. She was glad yet sorry to watch the change Elfreda was about
to make.

"I can't reverse it up here," grumbled Elfreda. "I'm afraid of dropping
it. I'll have to get down from the ladder with it, then turn it around."

Carefully descending, she laid the so-called Jonah face down on the top
step of the ladder, paused for an instant before completing her task.

"Oh, look!" Grace cried out, staring hard at the back of the picture.
Standing out on it in letters of blue a single sentence had been
pencille