Every time he came here he gave me more medicine and then treated me with every indignity possible. I grew to loathe him and feared the very sight of him. Since this doctor came I feel so much better, and I am going to get well and punish that vile man.’ “I was so filled with dismay I could only gasp: ‘And this man isn’t your father after all?’ “‘No, indeed,’ she said. “Well, as you may imagine, my suspicions were aroused; yet I felt, too, the whole story might be the vagary of her imagination. “After thinking it over I resolved to tell Mr. Leighton all. While he talked to me and I was under his mesmeric influence my suspicions were lulled to rest and I felt that he was the best and kindest man I had ever met. “One day soon after this I received a telegram stating that Dannie was dead. I got Mr. Leighton to investigate the matter and he found it was too true. He had been killed and robbed. For a time I was inconsolable, and it was then that Mr. Leighton was most tender. When I began to recover from the blow I wondered why he had not asked me to be his wife, for he had often told me he loved me better than his life. I waited several weeks and he said no word, so I finally decided to speak of the matter myself, thinking he might feel reticent considering my recent bereavement. “When I did muster up courage to speak to him he said: ‘Why, my dear, when I marry and give a woman my name she must be pure.’ “‘And if I am not pure, who is to blame?’ said I, quivering with rage. “‘There, there, we won’t talk about it any more,’ said he. “He went away and left me in an agony of despair. I went to Lita’s room and told her the whole story, for I knew she was rational and had told me the truth. “When I had sobbed out all my troubles on her breast she soothed me and said: ‘Listen, Anita, you will believe me, I am sure, so I will tell you something. Dr. Snyder, whom you called in that day I was so ill, has learned to love me. He knows all my story and is willing to marry me. We were going to run away from here together at the first opportunity. If you will, you shall go with us. We are going to have a beautiful home on Drexel Boulevard, and you will be a most welcome guest.’” “I suppose this is the place,” said I. “You certainly have a lovely home.” “Yes, and Lita has more than repaid me for what I did for her. The doctor went to the doctors who employed me before we took the cottage and learned all about his doings. He had him arrested and he is now languishing in jail. Dannie will be here in three days now. Oh, I am so happy!” “Dannie! Why, I thought you said he was dead?” “Oh, you see, that was a part of Mr. Leighton’s nefarious plot. He intercepted all the letters that passed between Dannie and me and bribed a man to send that telegram to me; then sent a man to Dannie to prove I was untrue to him. “He seemed to be highly successful in carrying out his plans for a long time, but you see he was caught in his own toils.