with new alarm--a dreadful apprehension. What could the girl have done
to be thus frightened by the coming of the woman whose employment she
had left?

"Mrs. Vanderlyn!" the girl gasped, weakly.

Then Kreutzer saw her do a thing which added to his great amazement,
his great worry. With a quick stride she crossed the little space
between her and the table, quickly snatched from it the box and ring,
put the cover on the box, and, hurriedly, with almost furtive gesture,
thrust the box into her handbag, being careful, he observed, to see to
it that in the bag it was well covered by a handkerchief and veil.

"Why do you look so frightened?" he demanded, in a voice now hoarse
and painful.

Anna was as pale as death as she replied: "I am afraid she has
discovered--"

"Discovered?" said her father, a grim light breaking on his confused
faculties. Ah, this was terrible, but must be faced! Ah, God! His
little Anna! She had taken it--had stolen it--from Mrs. Vanderlyn! But
he would stand by her. Nothing should induce him to abandon her, no
matter what mad thing she had been tempted into doing. Doubtless it
had been his poverty (and was his poverty not direct result of his
incompetence?) which had led her into doing the dread thing which he
began to understand that she had done.

Now, surely, was not the time for him to offer her reproaches. Now was
the time, when he, the best friend she had, could ever have, must