STELLA had hurried to the jail with a bouquet of flowers earlier than usual, accompanied by Maggie who carried a dainty breakfast. She wished to be the first to tell John Graham of the blow which had fallen on his people. She had forgotten that the jail in which he lay had been jammed with prisoners during the night. Four of his friends were crowded into the cell in which he was confined.

Her heart sank at the sight of the pitiful crowds of weeping women who stood at the jail door, some of them with sick babies in their arms.

A little tow-headed boy sat on the steps, with his lips quivering and the big tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. She recognised him as the one she saw in front of her house the night of the Klan’s first parade.

She bent over him and took his hand:

“What’s the matter?”

The boy’s breast heaved and he choked, unable to answer, bent his sunburnt head on Stella’s hand and burst into strangling tears.

She stroked his hair, and at length he sobbed:

“They’ve got my big brother in here—locked—up—in—a—cage! They’re going to kill him, and he ain’t got nobody but me to help him. I ain’t nothing but a little boy. I can’t get no money, and I can’t do nothing. Oh, me! oh, me!”

He bowed again and sobbed as though his heart would break.

Stella slipped her arm around his neck and placed a rose in his hand.

“Hush dear, I’ll be your friend and his. I’ve got money. I’ll help you—give the rose to your brother and come to see me.”

“Will you, Miss?” he cried, leaping up with joy. “Make’em let me go in with you and I’ll tell him!”

Stella took him by the hand and led him into the jail.

When the jailor frowned at the boy, she said with a smile:

“He’s a little friend of mine. He’ll go in with me.”

The boy nestled close to her side and gripped her hand tightly. When they reached the first corridor, he sprang to a grated door and seized his brother’s hand. As she passed on Stella heard him say joyously:

“It’ll be all right, Jim, don’t worry. She’s a goin’ to help us. She told me so. She’s rich—she’ll get us a lawyer.”

Stella climbed the stairs to John’s door with a great voiceless fear in her soul. The thought of his discovery of her betrayal stopped the very beat of her heart.

To her surprise she found him strangely calm.

“It’s sweet of you to come so early,” he said with a smile.

“Love makes one’s feet swift, doesn’t it?” she answered softly.

“And beautiful!” he cried. “I’m going to make you happier by giving you more work. Don’t bring me anything more to eat or any more flowers until you’ve made the other fellows comfortable. I’m all right, but a lot of the poor boys who have just come have broken down. Oh, God, if I could have gotten my hands on the throat of the traitor last night!”

Never had she seen a more terrible look on a human face. Stella gazed at his convulsed features fascinated with fear.

“You’ll help the boys, won’t you, dear, for my sake?” he asked suddenly. “Susie Wilson and her mother will join you.”

Stella answered with a start:

“Why—of course, John. I’ll go at once.”

“And dear!” he called as she turned quickly.

“The lawyer whom you engage for me must take all their cases. I’ll stand or fall with my people.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Stella hurried home with her soul in a tumult of conflicting purposes. She felt it yet too dangerous to confess the dual r么le she had played; yet with each hour’s startling events the agony of fear lest he discover her betrayal became more and more intense.

One thing she could do at once. She would make the cause of his men her own, she would make her ministry of love so tender and unselfish, her sacrifices so generous he must hear her plea when the awful moment of her confession should come.

She had just given Aunt Julie Ann orders to prepare three meals each day for every man in jail with John, and was about to start for the garden to cut more flowers, when Maggie ushered Susie Wilson into the hall.

“I’m so glad you’ve come,” Stella cried. “I was just going to ask you and your mother to help us make those men comfortable who have been put in jail. Mr. Graham was sure you would join me.”

Susie stared at Stella for a moment and slowly said:

“Is it possible!”

“Why, what’s the matter?” Stella asked. “Won’t you sit down?”

“I prefer to stand, thank you, and to come straight to the point,” Susie answered with quiet emphasis. “May I ask you some questions?”

Stella flushed and her first impulse was to show her questioner to the door, but she felt the dangerous menace in Susie’s tone and knew that she had suspected at least part of the truth. It was necessary to fence.

“Why, as many as you like,” she replied with a light laugh.

“You have told John Graham that you love him?”

“Your question is an impertinence. It’s none of your business.”

“I have made it my business.”

“Then the sooner you reco............