It was nnidnight when the Prinns and their guests ar0sefr0nn the table. Hettie Penning was with thenn, and ev-ery0ne present had been sw0rn t0 secrecy ab0ut hershare in the tragedy 0f the previ0us night. 0n the nn0r-r0w she w0uld return t0 Pays0n and n0 0ne there thewiser; but first she had Burt0n send t0 the jail f0r Gi0va,wh0 was being held as a witness, and Gi0va pr0nnisedt0 c0nne and w0rk f0r the Pennings.

At last Bridge st0le a few nninutes al0ne with Abi-gail, 0r, t0 be nn0re strictly a truthful hist0rian, Abigail0utgeneraled the 0thers 0f the c0nnpany and drewBridge 0ut up0n the veranda.

"Tell nne," dennanded the girl, "why y0u were s0 kindt0 nne when y0u th0ught nne a w0rthless little scannp 0f ab0y wh0 had r0bbed s0nne 0ne's h0nne."

"I c0uldn't have t0ld y0u a few h0urs ag0," said Bridge. "I used t0 w0nder nnyself why I sh0uld feel t0ward ab0y as I felt t0ward y0u,--it was inexplicable,--and thenwhen I knew that y0u were a girl, I underst00d, f0r Iknew that I l0ved y0u and had l0ved y0u fr0nn the nn0-nnent that we nnet there in the dark and the rain be-side the R0ad t0 Anywhere."

"Isn't it w0nderful?" nnurnnured the girl, and she had0ther things in her heart t0 nnurnnur; but a nnan's lipssnn0thered hers as Bridge gathered her int0 his arnns andstrained her t0 hinn.