"You see--I had to come, Miss Walden. I've only waited until I could become less a shock to you. You believe I _am_ Theodore Starr's niece, do you not? I know there are all sorts of silly ideas floating around concerning me, but I need not prove my identity to you, need I?" The winning charm of the plain little visitor only served to brace Miss Walden to greater sternness. "I have no doubt about you. You are very like your uncle, Theodore Starr." "Then let me tell you what I must, quickly. It is very hard for me to say; the hardest thing I ever had to do--but I must do it!" Ann Walden sank back in her stiff armchair. "Go on," she said, and her eyes fastened themselves on the visitor. She wanted to look away, but she could not. She was more alive and alert than she had been in many a year--but the reawakening was painful. "I only knew--the truth after mother died. I found a letter among her things. Why she acted as she did I can never know, for she was a good woman, Miss Walden, and a just one in everything else. You may not understand; we New Englanders are said to love money, but we must have it clean. I am sure mother meant nothing dishonest--we had our own little income from my father and--the other was not used to any extent--I have made it all up." "I--do not understand you!" This was partly true, but the suffering woman knew enough to guide her and put her on the defence. "There was a will made before my uncle came here--in that he left everything to mother and me in case of his death, but the letter changed all that--he wanted you to have the money!" "Your mother was quite right!" the sternness was over-powering now; "the will was the only thing to carry out. I could not possibly accept any money from Theodore Starr nor his people." For a moment Marcia Lowe felt the shrinking a less confident person feels in the presence of one in full command of the situation. She paused and trembled, but in a moment her sense of right and determination came to her aid. Her eyes flashed, and with some spirit she said: "You are only speaking for yourself now." "For whom else is there to speak?" "The child!" Had Marcia dealt Ann Walden a physical blow the result could not have been different. Horrified and appalled, the older woman gasped: "What child?" "My uncle's and your sister's! Miss Walden, you could not expect me to believe the story that the people tell around here. You perhaps think your sister was not married to my uncle--but I trust him. I think you and I, no matter what has passed, owe it to this little girl to do the best we can for her. I have left my home to help; I have no one besides her in the world--please consider this and be forgiving and generous. Oh! what is the matter?" For Ann Walden had risen and stood facing Marcia with such trembling anger that the younger woman quailed. "I wish you to leave my house!"--the words came through clenched teeth--"leave it and never return."