"Uncle Walter," she called, "why did you sit up for me? Wake up now
and go to bed, or you will be having one of your dreadful headaches
to-morrow."

But the man did not make or show any signs of having heard her.

He was breathing heavily, and Mona now noticed that his face was
unnaturally flushed, and that the veins upon his temples were knotted
and swollen.

A startled look swept over her face, and she grew white with a sudden
fear.

"Uncle Walter!" she cried out, sharply, and trying to arouse him; "speak
to me! Oh! there is something dreadful the matter with him; he is ill--he
is unconscious!"

With a wild cry and sob of fear and anguish, she turned and sped with
flying feet from the room.

A moment later she was knocking vigorously at the door of the
serving-man's room, begging him to "get up at once and go for Doctor
Hammond, for Mr. Dinsmore was very ill."

Having aroused James, she called the other servants, and then flew back
to her idolized uncle.

There was no change in him; he sat and breathed just the same.
Instinctively feeling that something ought to be done immediately for his
relief, with trembling fingers she loosened his neck-tie, unbuttoned his