A Romance of Billy-Goat Hill

ecipitated, changed the course of many a life, but to none did it brin

nge man hovering between life and death in the guest-room bed, of strange people coming and going, or sitting in hushed groups on the stiff horsehair chairs in

ignant grief for her father, came the dull persistent pain of a first disillusion. The belief and loyalty with which she had started out to defend Donald began to weaken before his silence. In his trouble

ut one of the whims of which his life seemed made up? Perhaps she herself had only been a passing fancy, something wanted for the

did all the last sad, futile things one can do for the dead; then when all was over, fled from the confusion at Thornwood, and sought the silence of the woods. Here fierc

ound her late one evening, on the grass by the river, sobbi

sat on a log near by and waited silently until she was ready to

he said. "Thought I'd be over earli

r heart. Without another thought for Noah, she sped up the walk to the house, where she locked herself into t

e words to herself. Then she looked at the postmark on the heavy envelo

co. In an instant she seemed to see a stubby brown hand reaching for it, the quick spurt of the match, the flare of light on an old w

ared. She could keep her promise now, but could she after she had read Donald's lett

re penciled the proud records he had made of her height on each successive birthday. On the walls were pictures of her he had treasured, from the time she

g sportsman, surrounded by his pack of hounds. Twenty years ago this gallant hunter had given up the chase, with many a

that letter, and yet the reading of it would mean breaking a promise to one whom she could never promise anything again. Her newly awakened love and her se

ld's part to come to her in her trouble. Her father's judgment was probably right

and again, and kneeling by the fire, held it to th

ing reports from the sick room. Gradually, however, the reports became more favorable, the tens

o the flame, and watched it

to the city until he was stronger. The quiet country house was an excellent place for convalescence, and under the direction of

other adjustment. She was singularly alone in the world, and too dazed for the present to know what her

kindly clasp of a hand, and a wonderful low voice that spoke words of comfort. Then gradually she saw the slender, over-serious face of a middle-a

hild, he was her father's friend, the last to be with him before his death, and he talked to her for hours about

time of affliction. Where others conjectured, or evaded, he boldly affirmed

into his room with a handful of flowers and found him prop

said with the polite formality that was habitual to him

urned the vase in which she was arranging the flowers. "Now

hooked under the rung of a straight-back chair, crocheting with passionate abandon. Filling hot-water bottles, taking temperatur

r continued, "but I cannot decipher her hieroglyphics suf

d Miss Lady, lookin

aracter. Why the art of handwriting should

e eleven train. I must go down and tell Uncle Jimpson to be at the

e you going t

ng to the

ery sensitive to environment. You should avoid everything that excites the

ly; "you have helped me more than anybod

been revealed. "But we must not discuss these things now. Miss Wuster has just been re

iss Lady with

ould say. Young Dillingham is engaged to be married to the daughter of my cousin whom I

itches between her sentences, "I can't see how they got

h?" asked Miss L

hat sometimes occur when a scion of a rich and influential family happens to transgress the law. It seems that the saloon-keeper, who was at first reasonably sure of what happened, suf

partizanship. "Look at the way he sneaked home, and left the other young man to get a doctor and help move Sheeley to the

way?" said Miss Lady, looking

nd. If you knew the boy you would understand what a hot-headed, harum-scarum person he is. He was my pupil at one time and I grew qu

illingham puts the blame

throw suspicion upon Donald. The case has been confusing in the extreme, the absence of witnesses, the failure to establish the ownership of the pistol, the absurd complication about

tinuously for two months that she was beginning to believe it. She knew that he was wild, reckless and unreliable, that he had f

you were the justest man he ever knew!" she

on. It is not known even by the family as yet, but Mr. Gooc

dic

ky without standing his trial. It i