"The Avenger" and his doings.

She took the kettle off the gas-ring. "It's a pity Bunting isn't
here," she said, drawing in her breath. "He'd a-liked so much to
hear you tell all about it, Joe."

As she spoke she was pouring boiling water into a little teapot.

But Chandler said nothing, and she turned and glanced at him. "Why,
you do look bad!" she exclaimed.

And, indeed, the young fellow did look bad--very bad indeed.

"I can't help it," he said, with a kind of gasp. "It was your
saying that about my telling you all about it that made me turn
queer. You see, this time I was one of the first there, and it
fairly turned me sick--that it did. Oh, it was too awful, Mrs.
Bunting! Don't talk of it."

He began gulping down the hot tea before it was well made.

She looked at him with sympathetic interest. "Why, Joe," she said,
"I never would have thought, with all the horrible sights you see,
that anything could upset you like that."

"This isn't like anything there's ever been before," he said. "And
then--then--oh, Mrs. Bunting, 'twas I that discovered the piece of
paper this time."

"Then it is true," she cried eagerly. "It is The Avenger's bit of