u truthfully that we had been to Rachel's; so she
said that she must go."

"The foolish girl!" ejaculated her father. "Why could not she use
judgment? Call her, Adele, while I send Uncle Billy right off for the
doctor. We must all be vaccinated, and the house fumigated thoroughly.
It will be a miracle if every darkey on the place doesn't come down with
the disease."

"She isn't here, Uncle William." Adele laid a detaining hand on his arm.

"She isn't? Then where is she? She surely did not remain at Rachel's?"

"No; she would not come back here because she was afraid that she might
give you and me the small pox. She said that she would go to the old
fisherman's hut down by the river, and stay there."

"Beatrice was afraid that she would give it to us, and so would not
return here?" repeated the scientist as though he had not heard aright.
"She said that, Adele?"

"Why, yes," answered Adele. Rapidly she related the incident in its
entirety, concluding with: "She said that she could have it in the hut,
and then we would be safe."

"I'll go right after her," cried he, an unusual warmth in his tone. He
started for the door, and again his niece detained him.

"Are you going to bring Bee here to this house after she has been in
that cabin?" she asked in horrified tones, her face very white.

"Certainly. She can't stay in an empty hut."

"But, but she might give me the small pox," she whimpered.

"Of course she might," exclaimed her uncle impatiently. "The child can't
stay in that place even though she gives it to every one of us. She may
have it herself."

"You could take some blankets and pillows down there for her," she
suggested eagerly. "That is what she told me to do this afternoon. Then
if she does have it she won't have to come back here."

A look of supreme disgust swept over Doctor Raymond's face. Quietly he
removed her hand from his arm.

"My daughter will come back here," he said.

"Then I want to go home," sobbed Adele. "Bee herself don't want me to
have the small pox, because she kissed me, and said that it would be a
pity for me to lose my beauty. And I promised to be good to you, but you
are not a bit nice to me. It doesn't matter about her. She said it
didn't. You don't care for her anyway. Oh, I want to go home!"

"I think that is the very best place for you," remarked her uncle in a
quiet voice. "I will order the carriage as I go out, and Joel will drive
you there. If you do not wish to be