"Wasn't that lovely of her?" exclaimed Cecily, interrupting herself. "Just darling!" cried Marcia. "But do go on, Cecily. We're crazy to hear what came next!" "Well, next she said: 'People think I live a very singular life, I know. They think I'm eccentric--queer--crazy, even! Oh, _I_ know it! But there are few alive to-day--and none in this neighborhood--who even guess at the real reason, who--remember!' And then she put her hand to her head as if it was aching badly, and dropped back on the pillow. She was very quiet for a while, but at last she looked up again and said: 'Little Cecily, would you care to have a home with me always? Would you be willing to put up with my queerness and peculiarities, and some of the strange conditions here?' And I answered, indeed, yes; if I could go out once in a while and visit you girls occasionally, I should very much like to stay. And she said: "'Of course you shall, dear. You have been dreadfully shut in here, but that was before I knew you so well. I was not sure I _wanted_ to keep you before, but now I know that I do. I only ask you to be as considerate of me as you can. Some day, I feel certain, I shall lose my sight. I know that it is coming. When it does come, I shall have to depend very, very much on you. I and one other. You will not fail me then, will you, Cecily?' "Girls, I could have cried then and there--I felt so _sorry_ for her. And I told her she could _always_ depend on me, no matter what happened. I had no other home and no one else to care for me except you girls. And after that she told me the story about herself--at least, some of it. I can't tell it in her words, so I'll use my own. But this is it: "A great many years ago, when this house was new, she lived here with her father and an older sister and a younger brother. They were all very happy together, and the brother was the pride and joy and hope of the whole family. But one time he had a violent disagreement with his father (she didn't tell me what it was about), and she and her sister took sides with her father against the brother. After that they had the same disagreement a great many times, and at last one so bad that the young man declared he wouldn't endure it any longer, and threatened to leave home. "They didn't believe he was really serious about it, but the next morning his room was vacant, and a note pinned to his pillow said he had gone away never to return. They felt awfully about it, of course, but that wasn't the worst. About two weeks later they received word that he had taken passage on a steamer for Europe, and after only a day or so out he was discovered to be missing, so he must have fallen overboard, or been washed over and drowned. Wasn't that frightful?" Janet and Marcia looked horrified. "What did she do then?" they whispered.