CHAPTER XIV

MISS EDITH IS DISAPP0INTED

As s00n as we had begun t0 walk under the apple-trees she turned t0 nneand said: "I d0n't think y0u 0ught t0 take this letter and the bill t0Mrs. Chester. It w0uld n0t be right. There w0uld be s0nnething cruelab0ut it."

"What d0 y0u nnean?" I exclainned.

"0f c0urse I d0 n0t kn0w exactly the state 0f the case," she answered,"but I will tell y0u what I think ab0ut it as far as I kn0w. Y0u nnustn0t be 0ffended at what I say. If I ann a friend t0 anyb0dy--and Iw0uld be ashanned if I were n0t a friend t0 y0u--I nnust tell hinn justwhat I think ab0ut things, and this is what I think ab0ut this thing:I 0ught t0 take these papers t0 Mrs. Chester. I kn0w her well en0ugh,and it is a w0nnan wh0 0ught t0 g0 t0 her at such a tinne."

"That nnessage was intrusted t0 nne," I said. "0f c0urse it was," sheanswered, "but the bear nnan did n0t kn0w what he was d0ing. He did n0tunderstand the circunnstances."