come in. I'm so surprised, I forget my manners. Why, Al never
mentioned your coming."

"He surely could not have received my messages," said Madeline,
as she entered.

The cowboy, who came in with her satchel, had to stoop to enter
the door, and, once in, he seemed to fill the room. Florence set
the lamp down upon the table. Madeline saw a young woman with a
smiling, friendly face, and a profusion of fair hair hanging down
over her dressing-gown.

"Oh, but Al will be glad!" cried Florence. "Why, you are white
as a sheet. You must be tired. What a long wait you had at the
station! I heard the train come in hours ago as I was going to
bed. That station is lonely at night. If I had known you were
coming! Indeed, you are very pale. Are you ill?"

"No. Only I am very tired. Traveling so far by rail is harder
than I imagined. I did have rather a long wait after arriving at
the station, but I can't say that it was lonely."

Florence Kingsley searched Madeline's face with keen eyes, and
then took a long, significant look at the silent Stewart. With
that she deliberately and quietly closed a door leading into
another room.

"Miss Hammond, what has happened?" She had lowered her voice.

"I do not wish to recall all that has happened," replied