"My dear Edith," said he, placing his hand on her head, grieved himself by her outburst of new affliction, "you cause me grief. I would not hurt your dear little heart for anything. Now, come, explain to me fully what that heart of yours tells you?" She arose, half laughing, half crying, almost hysterically discomposed, rubbing her tears away, as she smiled through them rolling down her face. "I feel ashamed, papa, for being so weak; but I cannot help it," she said, sitting down on his knee, and throwing her head upon his shoulder and one arm around his neck. "Well! Edith. I am in sympathy with you," said he; "but you gave me a severe shock being so plainly spoken about such an affair of the heart. Does he suspect it of you?" "I do not think so, papa--but, papa, he told Star that he loved me, and told her not to tell--and, goosey that she is, she told me, and caused me more--because he said he could not expect to ever meet me on the same level; and that is all I have against him--" "Well! Of all things I ever heard of," said the father. "I had not been inclined to interfere with you, Edith, in such affairs; but I--" he hesitated. "You make your choice, but be careful, child; be careful." "Don't you think he is good, papa?" she asked. "Very good--fine--perfect, Edith! I should not disfavor him; but he must love you for your own dear self before I shall ever give my consent." "He may never find it out, papa," she said, drearily; "and if he does not, I shall never let him know, and shall go through the world alone." "That is noble in you, Edith," said her father, kissing her. "It is time for me to go," he said, as she released him. * * * * * On arriving at his office, Mr. Jarney was informed that Mr. Monroe had quietly taken himself off that morning for New York. He was further informed that Mr. Monroe had been requested to make the trip by certain members of the Board of Directors; and further, that he was entrusted with a large sum of money, in the form of drafts, made payable to the order of the treasurer of the company at the Broadway office. When this news was flashed upon Mr. Jarney, there seemed to penetrate his tractable mind, like a thunderbolt, the concatenating links of a plot, too realistic to be waived aside; which he was prone to do, when Edith gave him her story that morning. Side by side with the facts concerning Monroe's leave-taking and purpose, he also learned that the genteel ghost had taken with him certain office books and papers, to be used in checking over accounts while auditing the books of the branch office. This was not in accordance with precedence, and proved another corroborative circumstance in the duplicity of the culpable Monroe.