“Lucy! Stop that!” ordered John sharply. “I don’t know you. I never saw you act like this. What’s the matter with you?” He shook her arm as he spoke. She only laughed the more wildly. “Lucy!” John’s voice was uncertain now. “Lucy! Stop, I say. What on earth has gotten into you? Why, you act as if you were crazy.” “Do I?” she reiterated with the same weird intonation. She laughed again, her voice growing shriller and shriller with each breath. Katy’s frightened face peered through a crack in the kitchen doorway, but no one observed it. John’s grip on Lucy’s arm tightened. “Stop that laughing,” he repeated, but, as he shook her, this time more roughly, there was fear in his tone and glance. Lucy ceased laughing and looked at him. “Oh, John!” she exclaimed. “What is it, John? What have I done?” Then she hid her face in her hands and sobbed. He loosened his hold on her. Nannie gave a sigh of relief. “Lucy, you should control yourself and not give way like that,” she admonished. Lucy uncovered her face and gazed at John. The tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Come now, Lucy,” he went on more quietly, “don’t act this way any longer. Any one would think, to see and hear you, that you had been terribly abused.” “You have hurt me so. Oh, John, how you have hurt me.” Lucy’s tears continued to flow, but she did not sob. “You have hurt us, too, Lucy,” said Nannie. “I depended on you to understand, John,” Lucy pursued, without noticing her mother, “and you were the first to fail me. Others have been better to me than you have--been more true----” “Lucy!” Mrs. Merwent interrupted sharply, “I should think you could do better than to bring Mr. Sprague in at a time like this!” “Yes,” echoed John, flushing again. “If he has been more sympathetic than your husband, you might at least keep from throwing it up to me.” “I wasn’t even thinking----” Lucy began in a dull voice. Then, suddenly, her eyes glittered angrily. “You two evil minded beings!” she almost screamed. “Do and say what you like, I despise you!” “Lucy, I warn you----” articulated Mrs. Merwent. “Don’t speak to me! I’m ashamed that you are my mother.” Nannie cowered at the whip-like words. John moved toward Lucy once more, but she retreated before him defensively. “Don’t touch me! Don’t come near me! Oh, how I hate myself that I ever thought you worthy to be the father of my child! Why did you ever seek me in the first place? Why did you? Why did you? Oh--oh--why did you?” “John,” said Nannie, as Lucy paused for breath, “I think we’d better----” “Yes, leave me!” Lucy broke in shrilly. “Leave me! Go away! I can’t look at you! Get away from me!” She was waving her hands at them excitedly. “Go! Go away! Oh, you--go--go now! Go at once! Go!” Her words ended in a shriek. All at once she drew her breath in painfully and, before John could catch her, fell forward in a heap by the table. She lay there still and white.