"Who has done this wicked thing?" I asked, holding her hand, and looking kindly into her eyes. "O, my God! O, I must not tell," she cried, springing up from her couch. I never shall forget the terror depicted on that fair young countenance, as she pronounced these words. "You must tell. You should not suffer this shame and burden alone. Tell me truly. Who has done it? I must know. There may be a chance to cover the shame and make your babe legitimate. Come," I said. "O, sir, dear doctor, it can never be;" and she fell back on her pillow, weeping and wringing her hands in awful anguish. "Come, it shall be done;" and I firmly held to the point. She arose. I gave her a bowl and napkin that were near; she bathed her inflamed and swollen eyes, then, with surprising calmness and fortitude, took a pencil and a bit of paper from the light-stand at her bedside, and wrote a name. She then handed it to me, saying "'Tis he." I read the name. I jumped to my feet. I forgot my tender patient. I forgot all but my own sufferings, and those of my dear little wife and darling babe, and their enemy, as I cried out,-- "O, my God in Israel! I have got him! I shall be avenged!" "O, don't, doctor! What is the matter?" exclaimed the affrighted girl, rising in bed. I had rushed, almost frantically across the room and back. "Forgive me," I said, "I--I forgot myself. Pardon me." "O, sir, I thought you were mad." "I was, dear girl. It is past. Now to your case." And I proceeded to unfold to her unsophisticated mind the true state of affairs. Here was a pure, respectable, though poor young girl, under age, who had been betrayed, locked into an office, and seduced by a son of the squire, and deserted, threatened--left to bear the burden and disgrace alone. She dared not divulge the name of her destroyer, because of the position of his family in the community. I dared. But to bring her mind up above her fears, to compel the young man to make restitution, as far as lay in his power, was a severe task. It was my duty to do this; sweeter then than duty, it was my revenge! By implicating the real villain, I released several other young men from suspicion, particularly one young man with red hair. The girl was taken away from the sight of dear sister's sinister looks, and the influence and threats of the seducer, and secret offers of bribery of the deacon, his father.