"I can not tell you, dear Jewel," was the sad reply. Then taking courage in her misery, the poor girl continued. "Do you remember where Laurie Meredith lived? And will you tell me, for I have forgotten?" "You wish to write to him?" sneered Jewel, and Flower sighed: "Yes." "Has he written to you?" "No; or at least I have never received a letter--but, Jewel, he must have written--he must surely have written--only I have never received the letter." The piteous voice, the tearful blue eyes were very touching, but Jewel Fielding laughed harshly. "Do you want to know what I think?" she cried. "You are a fool, Flower Fielding. The man never gave you another thought after he left here, and I am surprised at you for thinking of writing to him. And what would mamma say? You know she forbid you to have anything to say to Laurie Meredith." "Yes, I know. Please do not tell her, Jewel, that I wished to write to him," Flower faltered, anxiously. "If you will promise me not to write to him, Flower, I will not tell mamma." "How can I write when I do not know where to address a letter? But I will not promise, for if I find out I shall write!" Flower cried, defiantly, and rushed away. CHAPTER XI. Jewel's beautiful dark face dilated with anger as she muttered to herself: "The obstinate little vixen, how I hate her! I do not know why I do not tell mamma everything. It is only because I am afraid she would not be severe enough upon her. I will wait, wait, until I get more to go upon. That wretched Sam, where can he have gone, and why does he not return?" For Sam had locked up the cabin on the morning after Laurie Meredith disappeared, and had gone away, no one knew where. Perhaps he had gone to get rid of the importunities of Mrs. Fielding, fearing lest in some weak moment she might cajole him out of the papers she desired so much. However that may be, he had disappeared as entirely as if mother earth had opened and swallowed him, and both Mrs. Fielding and Jewel chafed bitterly over this misfortune. Mrs. Fielding had gone to Sam's house several times in the dead of night and made eager search for the papers, but without success. But the known fact that Sam was gone away, connected with the fact that lights had been seen flaring through the cabin windows at night, speedily gave room to gossips about the neighborhood to declare that old Maria's ghost haunted the place. When the report came to the ears of Mrs. Fielding she smiled bitterly, and Jewel, who had been watching her mother's face, immediately leaped to a conclusion. She thought: "She has been there searching for those papers at night." And she immediately determined that she would do the same thing, for she felt convinced that her mother had failed. Else why did she grow older and stranger with such awful rapidity that her daughters shuddered sometimes, fearing from her fits of rage alternating with fearful moodiness that she was going mad.