Stoddard came out into the chancel, lighted the altar

tapers and began the Anglican communion office. I had

forgotten what a church service was like; and Larry, I

felt sure, had not attended church since the last time

his family had dragged hint to choral vespers.

It was comforting to know that here was, at least, one

place of peace within reach of Glenarm House. But I

may be forgiven, I hope, if my mind wandered that

morning, and my thoughts played hide-and-seek with

memory. For it was here, in the winter twilight, that

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Marian Devereux had poured out her girl's heart in a

great flood of melody. I was glad that the organ was

closed; it would have wrung my heart to hear a note

from it that her hands did not evoke.

When we came out upon the church porch and I stood

on the steps to allow Larry to study the grounds, one of

the brown-robed Sisterhood spoke my name.

It was Sister Theresa.

"Can you come in for a moment?" she asked.

"I will follow at once," I said.

She met me in the reception-room where I had seen

her before.

"I'm sorry to trouble you on Christmas Day with my

affairs, but I have had a letter from Mr. Pickering, saying

that he will he obliged to bring suit for settlement

of my account with Mr. Glenarm's estate. I needn't

say that this troubles me greatly. In my position a lawsuit

is uncomfortable; it would do a real harm to the

school. Mr. Pickering implies in a very disagreeable

way that I exercised an undue influence over Mr. Glenarm.

You can readily understand that that is not a

pleasant accusation."

"He is going pretty far," I said.

"He gives me credit for a degree of power over others

that I regret to say I do not possess. He thinks, for instance,

that I am responsible for Miss Devereux's attitude

toward him,-something that I have had nothing

whatever to do with."

"No, of course not."

"I'm glad you have no harsh feeling toward her. It

was unfortunate that Mr. Glenarm saw fit to mention

her in his will. It has given her a great deal of notoriety,

and has doubtless strengthened the impression in

some minds that she and I really plotted to get as much

as possible of your grandfather's estate."

"No one would regret all this more than my grandfather,

-I am sure of that. There are many inexplicable

things about his affairs. It seems hardly possible

that a man so shrewd as he, and so thoughtful of the

feelings of others, should have left so many loose ends

behind him. But I assure you I am giving my whole

attention to these matters, and I am wholly at your

service in anything I can do to help you."




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