Jean had so few acquaintances in Saintsbury that there was little chance of finding her off on a visit. I went to the railway station and tried to discover whether anyone there had seen her or sold a ticket to Dunstan, but I found nothing. I believe it was superstition more than anything else that sent me finally to Barney. He was at his stand, selling papers as calmly as though this chaotic day were like any other.

"Barney, Miss Benbow is lost," I said, without preliminary. "She has left Mr. Ellison\'s house, and told the maid she was not coming back. I have been to the station to inquire. For heaven\'s sake, suggest something that I can do."

Barney listened sympathetically, but without any manifestation of concern.

"Gone, has she? And not coming back! And I\'ll warrant you haven\'t had a chance to talk to her since I got her home from the church."

"Of course I haven\'t. I\'ve been at the jail. Barney, we\'ve arrested Garney, and he is the man that killed Barker, and Benbow will be cleared. But I am not going to talk about anything until I find that girl. So don\'t ask questions. Tell me something to do."

Barney\'s eyes grew round as saucers, but he was an old soldier. He knew when to obey. But he would do it in his own way.

"I\'m thinking, Mr. Hilton, that if ye mind your own affairs, ye\'ll best be mindin\' hers."

"Is that impertinence, Barney?"

"Divil a bit, your honor, and you with a face on you that would scare a banshee into saying prayers!"

"Then, I am in no mood for guessing riddles."

He gave me a glance that made me feel inexpressibly young.

"I\'m thinkin\' I saw the young leddy go up yonder," he said, nodding toward the building where I had my office. "If she was goin\' away forever, maybe she wanted to say good-bye!"

Could it be possible? I dashed across the street and up the stairs without waiting for the slow elevator. I opened the door,--and there lay a pathetic little heap on the Daghestan rug on my floor.

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There lay a pathetic little heap on the Daghestan rug on my floor. Page 290.

It was a moment before I realized that the tired child was merely asleep. I had dropped down beside her and lifted her head upon my arm, when she opened her eyes with a start. Then something wonderful and dazzling swam up from her unconscious eyes to meet my gaze,--and I knew in a bewildering flash that it was no child but a woman that I held in my arms. My heart went from me. I did not realize that I had kissed her.

She lay quite still for a moment, but her white eyelids fell slowly to hide her eyes from mine.

"Thank heaven you are safe!" I murmured. "How could you frighten me so?"

She withdrew herself gently from my arms and rose. Her hat was on my desk, between the inkstand and the mucilage. She picked it up and proceeded to stab it to her head.

"I must have fallen asleep," she murmured, keeping her downcast eyes from me. "I just came in to say good-bye, and I waited, and told Mr. Fellows he could leave the door unlocked, because I was sure you would come, and I was so tired,--"

"Good-bye indeed! Where do you think you are going?"

"I am going back to Miss Elwood\'s School," she said, with the gentle inflexibility I always enjoyed. "I seem to do nothing but get into trouble when I am away from there. I didn\'t tell anyone but Minnie, because I didn\'t want to have to argue about it, but I thought I ought to say good-bye to you,--"

"I am glad you remembered to be polite to me," I said, getting possession of her hands, "because I have a lot of things to tell you. That is,--if you will promise to marry me first!"

"Don\'t!" she said, breathlessly, drawing away. "You--forget!"

"Forget what?"

"The other girl!"

"There is no other girl,--never was and never will be," I protested. "What in the world do you mean, child?"

She looked at me with troubled eyes. "Katherine Thurston said that you said there was--someone."

"Oh!" I gasped. That foolish, forgotten incident of the locket! I felt myself blushing,--at least I had that grace.

............