days what I ought to have known all along, that I cannot marry Mr.
McAllister. The reason is there is some one else. He is neither rich
nor of distinguished family, but there are things that count for more,
at least to me. I shall see you very soon, and explain more fully.
In the meantime think kindly, if you can, of your niece,

MARGARET ELIZABETH."

[Illustration: MRS. GERRARD PENNINGTON]

This as it stood was bad enough, wrecking her dearest hopes at the
moment when they had seemed most secure; but taken in connection with
a story related in artless innocence by her travelling companion of
yesterday, Teddy Brown, to use one of that gentleman's cherished
phrases, it spelled tragedy.

The Reporter had not been bent on mischief. Far from it. He was merely
grappling bravely with the task of being agreeable to the great lady.
Surely it was but natural that in the course of a long conversation the
Candy Man's curious resemblance to Augustus should suggest itself as a
topic; and given a gleam of something like interest in his companion's
eyes, it was easy to continue from bad to worse.

He lived in the same apartment house as Virginia, and from her he
had heard of the Christmas tree, and the Candy Man's presence on the
occasion; also of that old accident on the corner in which the Candy
Man had figured as Miss Bentley's rescuer. No wonder those intuitions
regarding a person who was not Augustus should have risen to torture
Mrs. Pennington. All this circumstantial evidence was very black against
Margaret Elizabeth, seemingly so honest and frank. No wonder Mrs.