She couldn't tell him--she could not bear to see his face when he knew the truth! She tried to speak lightly. "I was thinking how much I'd grown to like--things--around here and how I hate to--go away. Peter, will you keep Nonie and Davy doing happy things--like other children. And, Peter--do you hate people that--act lies?" Peter laughed--Nancy was so deliciously child-like. Then he suddenly colored to the very roots of his hair. "Generally--I haven't much use for people that can't stick pretty well to the truth. But when there may be some reason--someone may start doing it for someone else----" he stopped abruptly. Nancy stared ahead with startled eyes. Did he know? But, no, how could he! It had only been an accident that he had so nearly hit upon the truth. She could not tell him--she need not tell him; in a few days she would say good-by and go away and never see him again! Theirs had been a pleasant friendship, for awhile she would miss it, but she'd be just plain Nancy Leavitt again, playing with Claire at Merrycliffe or with Daddy somewhere in the mountains or at the seashore, working, too--beginning life. After a while these weeks at Happy House would seem a curious memory--a dream! Suddenly she shivered. "Freedom--at last!" exclaimed Peter, increasing his speed. Ahead they saw the gleam of roofs through the trees. "And it looks as though they'd caught the storm worse than we did!" CHAPTER XXIII WHAT THE CHIMNEY HELD The storm, sweeping down the valley, had reached the heighth of its fury over Freedom. As the flashes of lightning grew sharper and more frequent, B'lindy bade Miss Milly watch the baby while she made things fast around the house. Beth women had been hanging over the sleeping child with something like awe. "Poor little mite--like as not right this minit Sarah Hopkins is watchin' us," B'lindy had whispered, "little bit of a thing, goin' to grow into a big, big man some day! Ain't it just _wonderful_, Milly Leavitt?" Milly's awe of the baby had been mixed with alarm at the increasing intensity of the storm. So that, as B'lindy moved to go, she held out an imploring hand. "Now you just hold yourself together, Milly Leavitt--that storm ain't goin' to hurt you! Anyways, it's lots more likely to if I don't see that everything's shut up tight, so's the lightnin' can't get in! _Ouch!_" Even B'lindy covered her eyes from a blinding flash. "You hold on to that baby, Milly Leavitt," she commanded, bolting from the room. But with each flash, each roar of thunder, poor Miss Milly's courage ebbed. Her cry--rising above, the noise of the storm brought Miss Sabrina and B'lindy to her. "I can't--help--it!" she sobbed, covering her face. "It's so--so dreadful! And where's--Nancy! Oh--oh!" Even Miss Sabrina's face was pale with alarm.