"She has saved me, sir. Even before I knew she was my niece I began to
wonder if it would not pay me to live for her sake. And now--"

"And now you are sure of it," cried Uncle John, emphatically. "But who
is to break the news to Myrtle?"

"No one, just yet," was the reply. "Allow me, sir, if you please, to
keep her in ignorance of the truth a little longer. I only made the
discovery myself today, you see, and I need time to think it all out
and determine how best to take advantage of my good fortune."

"I shall respect your wish, sir," said Mr. Merrick.

The girls came trooping back then, and instead of running away Anson
Jones remained to talk with them.

Beth and Patsy were really surprised to find the "Sad One" chatting
pleasantly with Uncle John. The Major looked at the man curiously, not
understanding the change in him. But Myrtle was quite proud of the
progress he was making and his improved spirits rendered the girl very
happy indeed. Why she should take such an interest in this man she
could not have explained, except that he had been discouraged and
hopeless and she had succeeded in preventing him from destroying his
life and given him courage to face the world anew. But surely that was
enough, quite sufficient to give her a feeling of "proprietorship," as
Patsy had expressed it, in this queer personage. Aside from all this,
she was growing to like the man who owed so much to her. Neither Patsy
nor Beth could yet see much to interest them or to admire in his
gloomy character; but Myrtle's intuition led her to see beneath the