She hurried away. And now, as Reliance sat there, trying to sew, her thoughts were not upon the stitches she was taking in the made-over gown; in spite of her resolution they strayed to the Townsend mansion, to the girl who had just gone there and the man she had gone to meet. A cautious tap sounded on the shop door. Then the door opened and the head of Varunas Gifford appeared between it and the jamb. “Hello!” hailed Mr. Gifford. “That you, Reliance? Can you come out here a minute? I’ve got somethin’ for you.” Reliance put down her sewing and followed him out to the step. At the gate one of the Townsend horses and the Townsend dog-cart were standing. On the step, beside Varunas, was a large leather traveling bag. Reliance looked at the bag and then at the man who had brought it. “Why!” she exclaimed. “What is this? This is Esther’s bag, isn’t it?” Varunas nodded. “Um-hum,” he replied. “That’s whose ’tis. Seen it afore, I guess likely, ain’t you?” “Of course I have. But what have you brought it here for?” “’Cause she told me to. I was settin’ out in the barn readin’ the _Item_. You see, I ain’t got much on hand to do this afternoon. Cap’n Foster, he give me orders, soon’s ever I fetched him from the depot, to be ready to drive him over to Ostable when he got through dinner. Had a telegram, he did, callin’ him over there to one of them lawyers’ meetin’s. So I was all ready and waitin’. But at the last minute he changed his mind and decided to drive himself.” “Yes, yes. What about Esther’s bag?” “I’m tellin’ you fast as I can. I was settin’ around, readin’ the _Item_, when Esther she come and called me. ‘Harness up the dog-cart or the buggy or somethin’, Varunas,’ says she, ‘and fetch it ’round to the front door. I’ve got an errand I want you to do.’ So I done it. Then down the stairs come she, totin’ this bag. ‘You take that to my Aunt Reliance’s,’ she says. ‘Give it to her and ask her to take care of it till I come.’ That’s what she said, and ’twas all she said, too.” “But--but why did she send it to me? What is in it?” “Ask me somethin’ easy. _I_ don’t know what’s in it. Stone ballast, maybe; it’s heavy enough. Say, Reliance, don’t you know nothin’ about it?... Humph! that’s kind of funny, seems to me.” Reliance thoroughly agreed with him. Sending that traveling bag to her, to be taken care of until its owner came, was “funny” to say the least. And disturbing, also. She looked at the bag and tried to think, to imagine. And what she imagined frightened her. Mr. Gifford had an inspiration. “Say,” he suggested, eagerly; “why don’t you open it? Probably there’s somethin’ there for you, a present, maybe. Here! I’ll open it for you.” But Reliance caught his hand. “No, you won’t,” she ordered, sharply. “You let it alone.... Wait! Wait where you are just a minute.”