She was a woman of strong nerve, but this news unmanned her and she sat motionless in her chair, making no comment, and when her informer was gone, locking the door to keep out others who might come spying upon her misery. Would the man who found the revolver keep silent? She did not think so. He would tell. The weapon would be traced to its hiding place, and with its initials, “P. R.,” bear deadly evidence against her boy. She called him that many times, wondering what she ought to do and why he did not speak. And so the day wore on, and, late in the afternoon, Elithe, who had slept for two hours or more, insisted upon dressing herself and coming down to tea with her aunt. It was taken in the kitchen, with the shades down and the door bolted. Several times there had been knocks, which were not answered, but as they were finishing their supper there came one so loud and oft repeated that the door was opened tremblingly by Miss Hansford, who half expected to be met by an officer come to demand the revolver and perhaps to arrest her for complicity in the matter. It was a boy from the Percy cottage with a note from Clarice to Elithe. “Miss E. Hansford,” it read: “There are some things relating to my poor brother which you alone can tell me. Will you come to me this evening? We leave to-morrow for Washington, and I must see you before I go. Hastily,— “CLARICE PERCY.” “Oh, I can’t go! What does she want?” Elithe said as she read the note aloud. “Wants to know all about Jack. Natural enough. I thought ’twould come. You’ll have to stand it. I’ll go with you,” Miss Hansford replied, and, going to the boy waiting upon the doorstep, she bade him tell Miss Percy that Miss Hansford would call upon her between eight and nine. “It’ll be dark then. It’s raining now, thank the Lord,” she said to Elithe, whose chill increased at the thought of meeting Clarice and talking with her of Jack. “What shall I say to her?” she asked her aunt. “Tell her how you found him at the mines, and what kindness did for him. It’s my opinion he would not be lying as he is now if they had treated him decent.” She was beginning to espouse Jack’s cause, and encouraged Elithe and kept her up until the clock struck eight, when, under the cover of darkness and rain and umbrellas, they started for the Percy Cottage.