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you　think　it　will　be　before　I　can　have　a　talk　with　him　on　a　subject　which　I　will　not　disguise　from　you　may　prove　a　very　exciting　one？　　　　〃Weeks；　weeks；〃　returned　the　doctor。　　〃Mr。　Brotherson　has　been　a　very　sick　man　and　the　only　hope　I　have　of　his　recovery　is　the　fact　that　he　is　ignorant　of　his　trouble　or　that　he　has　any　cause　for　doubt　or　dread。　　Were　this　happy　condition　of　things　to　be　disturbed；　　…　were　the　faintest　rumour　of　sorrow　or　disaster　to　reach　him　in　his　present　weakened　state；　I　should　fear　a　relapse；　with　all　its　attendant　dangers。　　What　then；　if　any　intimation　should　be　given　him　of　the　horrible　tragedy　suggested　by　the　name　you　have　mentioned？　　The　man　would　die　before　your　eyes。　　Mr。　Challoner's　business　will　have　to　wait。

〃That　I　see；　but　if　I　knew　when　I　might　speak　…　〃

〃I　can　give　you　no　date。　　Typhoid　is　a　treacherous　complaint；　he　has　the　best　of　nurses　and　the　chances　are　in　favour　of　a　quick　recovery；　but　we　never　can　be　sure。　　You　had　better　return　to　New　York。　　Later；　you　can　write　me　if　you　wish；　or　Mr。　Challoner　can。　You　may　have　confidence　in　my　reply；　it　will　not　mislead　you。

Sweetwater　muttered　his　thanks　and　rose。　　Then　he　slowly　sat　down　again。

〃Dr。　Fenton；　he　began；　〃you　are　a　man　to　be　trusted。　　I'm　in　a　devil　of　a　fix；　and　there　is　just　a　possibility　that　you　may　be　able　to　help　me　out。　　It　is　the　general　opinion　in　New　York；　as　you　may　know；　that　Miss　Challoner　committed　suicide。　　But　the　circumstances　do　not　fully　bear　out　this　theory；　nor　can　Mr。　Challoner　be　made　to　accept　it。　　Indeed；　he　is　so　convinced　of　its　falsehood；　that　he　stands　ready　to　do　anything；　pay　anything；　suffer　anything；　to　have　this　distressing　blight　removed　from　his　daughter's　good　name。　　Mr。　Brotherson　was　her　dearest　friend；　and　as　such　may　have　the　clew　to　this　mystery；　but　Mr。　Brotherson　may　not　be　in　a　condition　to　speak　for　several　weeks。　　Meanwhile；　Mr。　Challoner　must　suffer　from　great　suspense　unless　…　a　pause　during　which　he　searched　the　doctor's　face　with　a　perfectly　frank　and　inquiring　expression　…　〃　unless　some　one　else　can　help　us　out。　　Dr。　Fenton；　can　you？〃

The　doctor　did　not　need　to　speak；　his　expression　conveyed　his　answer。

〃No　more　than　another；　said　he。　　〃Except　for　what　Doris　felt　compelled　to　tell　me；　I　know　as　little　as　yourself。　　Mr。　Brotherson's　delirium　took　the　form　of　calling　continually　upon　one　name。　　I　did　not　know　this　name；　but　Doris　did；　also　the　danger　lurking　in　the　fact　that　he　had　yet　to　hear　of　the　tragedy　which　had　robbed　him　of　this　woman　to　whom　he　was　so　deeply　attached。　　So　she　told　me　just　this　much。　　That　the　Edith　whose　name　rung　so　continuously　in　our　ears　was　no　other　than　the　Miss　Challoner　of　New　York　of　whose　death　and　its　tragic　circumstances　the　papers　have　been　full；　that　their　engagement　was　a　secret　one　unshared　so　far　as　she　knew　by　any　one　but　herself。　　That　she　begged　me　to　preserve　this　secret　and　to　give　her　all　the　help　I　could　when　the　time　came　for　him　to　ask　questions。　Especially　did　she　entreat　me　to　be　with　her　at　the　crisis。　　I　was；　but　his　waking　was　quite　natural。　　He　did　not　ask　for　Miss　Challoner；　he　only　inquired　how　long　he　had　been　ill　and　whether　Doris　had　received　a　letter　during　that　time。　　She　had　not　received　one；　a　fact　which　seemed　to　disappoint　him；　but　she　carried　it　off　so　gaily　（she　is　a　wonderful　girl；　Mr。　Sweetwater　…　the　darling　of　all　our　hearts）；　saying　that　he　must　not　be　so　egotistical　as　to　think　that　the　news　of　his　illness　had　gone　beyond　Derby；　that　he　soon　recovered　his　spirits　and　became　a　very　promising　convalescent。　　That　is　all　I　know　about　the　matter；　little　more；　I　take　it；　than　you　know　yourself。

Sweetwater　nodded；　he　had　expected　nothing　from　the　doctor；　and　was　not　disappointed　at　his　failure。　　There　were　two　strings　to　his　bow；　and　the　one　proving　valueless；　he　proceeded　to　test　the　other。

〃You　have　mentioned　Miss　Scott；　as　the　confidante　…　and　only　confidante　of　this　unhappy　pair；　said　he。　　〃Would　it　be　possible　　…　can　you　make　it　possible　for　me　to　see　her？

It　was　a　daring　proposition；　he　understood　this　at　once　from　the　doctor's　expression；　and；　fearing　a　hasty　rebuff；　he　proceeded　to　supplement　his　request　with　a　few　added　arguments；　urged　with　such　unexpected　address　and　show　of　reason　that　Dr。　Fenton's　aspect　visibly　softened　and　in　the　end　he　found　himself　ready　to　promise　that　he　would　do　what　he　could　to　secure　his　visitor　the　interview　he　desired　if　he　would　come　to　the　house　the　next　day　at　the　time　of　his　own　morning　visit。

This　was　as　much　as　the　young　detective　could　expect；　and　having　expressed　his　thanks；　he　took　his　leave　in　anything　but　a　discontented　frame　of　mind。　　With　so　powerful　an　advocate　as　the　doctor；　he　felt　confident　that　he　should　soon　be　able　to　conquer　this　young　girl's　reticence　and　learn　all　that　was　to　be　learned　from　any　one　but　Mr。　Brotherson　himself。　　In　the　time　which　must　elapse　between　that　happy　hour　and　the　present；　he　would　circulate　and　learn　what　he　could　about　the　prospective　manager。　　But　he　soon　found　that　he　could　not　enter　the　Works　without　a　permit；　and　this　he　was　hardly　in　a　position　to　demand；　so　he　strolled　about　the　village　instead；　and　later　wandered　away　into　the　forest。

Struck　by　the　inviting　aspect　of　a　narrow　and　little　used　road　opening　from　the　highway　shortly　above　the　house　where　his　interests　were　just　then　centred；　he　strolled　into　the　heart　of　the　spring　woods　till　he　came　to　a　depression　where　a　surprise　awaited　him；　in　the　shape　of　a　peculiar　structure　rising　from　its　midst　where　it　just　fitted；　or　so　nearly　fitted　that　one　could　hardly　walk　about　it　without　brushing　the　surrounding　tree　trunks。　　Of　an　oval　shape；　with　its　door　facing　the　approach；　it　nestled　there；　a　wonder　to　the　eye　and　the　occasion　of　considerable　speculation　to　his　inquiring　mind。　　It　had　not　been　long　built；　as　was　shown　very　plainly　by　the　fresh　appearance　of　the　unpainted　boards　of　which　it　was　constructed；　and　while　it　boasted　of　a　door；　as　I've　already　said；　there　were　no　evidences　visible　of　any　other　break　in　the　smooth；　neatly　finished　walls。　　A　wooden　ellipse　with　a　roof　but　no　windows；　such　it　appeared　and　such　it　proved　to　be。　　A　mystery　to　Sweetwater's　eyes；　and　like　all　mysteries；　interesting。　　For　what　purpose　had　it　been　built　and　why　this　isolation？　　It　was　too　flimsy　for　a　reservoir　and　too　expensive　for　the　wild　freak　of　a　crank。

A　nearer　view　increased　his　curiosity；　In　the　projection　of　the　roof　over　the　curving　sides　he　found　fresh　food　for　inquiry。　　As　he　examined　it　in　the　walk　he　made　around　the　whole　structure；　he　came　to　a　place　where　something　like　a　hinge　became　visible　and　further　on　another。　　The　roof　was　not　simply　a　roof；　it　was　also　a　lid　capable　of　being　raised　for　the　air　and　light　which　the　lack　of　windows　necessitated。　　This　was　an　odd　discovery　indeed；　giving　to　the　uncanny　structure　the　appearance　of　a　huge　box；　the　cover　of　which　could　be　raised　or　lowered　at　pleasure。　　And　again　he　asked　himself　for　what　it　could　be　intended？　　What　enterprise；　even　of　the　great　Works；　could　demand　a　secrecy　so　absolute　that　such　pains　as　these　should　be　taken　to　shut　out　all　possibility　of　a　prying　eye。　Nothing　in　his　experience　supplied　him　with　an　answer。

He　was　still　looking　up　at　these　hinges；　with　　glance　which　took　in　at　the　same　time　the　nearness　and　extreme　height　of　the　trees　by　which　this　sylvan　mystery　was　surrounded；　when　a　sound　from　the　road　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　hollow　brought　his　conjectures　to　a　standstill　and　sent　him　hurrying　on　to　the　nearest　point　from　which　that　road　became　visible。　　　　A　team　was　approaching。　　He　could　hear　the　heavy　tread　of　horses　working　their　laborious　way　through　trees　whose　obstructing　branches　swished　before　and　behind　them。　　They　were　bringing　in　a　load　for　this　shed；　whose　uses　he　would　consequently　soon　understand。　Grateful　for　his　good　luck　…　for　his　was　a　curiosity　which　could　not　stand　defeat　…　he　took　a　few　steps　into　the　wood；　and　from　the　vantage　point　of　a　concealing　cluster　of　bushes；　fixed　his　eyes　upon　the　spot　where　the　road　opened　into　the　hollow。

Something　blue　moved　there；　and　in　another　moment；　to　his　great　amazement；　there　stepped　into　view　the　spirited　form　of　Doris　Scott；　who　if　he　had　given　the　matter　a　thought　he　would　have　supposed　to　be　sitting　just　then　by　the　bedside　of　her　patient；　a　half　mile　back　on　the　road。

She　was　dressed　for　the　woods　in　a　blue　skirt　and　jacket　and　moved　like　a　leader　in　front　of　a　heavily　laden　wagon　now　coming　to　a　standstill　before　the　closely　shut　shed　…　if　such　we　may　call　it。

〃I　have　a　key；〃　so　she　called　out　to　the　driver　who　had　paused　for　orders。　　〃When　I　swing　the　doors　wide；　drive　straight　in。〃

Sweetwater　took　a　look　at　the　wagon。　　It　was　piled　high　with　large　wooden　boxes　on　more　than　one　of　which　he　could　see　scrawled　the　words：　0。　Brotherson；　Derby；　Pa。

This　explained　her　presence；　but　the　boxes　told　nothing。　　They　were　of　all　sizes　and　shapes；　and　some　of　them　so　large　that　the　assistance　of　another　man　was　needed　to　handle　them。　　Sweetwater　was　about　to　offer　his　services　when　a　second　man　appeared　from　somewhere　in　the　rear；　and　the　detective's　attention　being　thus　released　from　the　load　out　of　which　he　could　make　nothing；　he　allowed　it　to　concentrate　upon　the　young　girl　who　had　it　in　charge　and　who；　for　many　reasons；　was　the　one　person　of　supreme　importance　to　him。

She　had　swung　open　the　two　wide　doors；　and　now　stood　waiting　for　horse　and　wagon　to　enter。　　With　locks　flying　free　…　she　wore　no　bonnet　…　she　presented　a　picture　of　ever　increasing　interest　to　Sweetwater。　　Truly　she　was　a　very　beautiful　girl；　buoyant；　healthy　and　sweet；　as　unlike　as　possible　his　preconceived　notions　of　Miss　Challoner's　humble　little　protegee。　　Her　brown　hair　of　a　rich　chestnut　hue；　was　in　itself　a　wonder。　　On　no　head；　even　in　the　great　city　he　had　just　left；　had　he　seen　such　abundance；　held　in　such　modest　restraint。　　Nature　had　been　partial　to　this　little　working　girl　and　given　her　the　chevelure　of　a　queen。

But　this　was　nothing。　　No　one　saw　this　aureole　when　once　the　eye　had　rested　on　her　features　and　caught　the　full　nobility　of　their　expression　and　the　lurking　sweetness　underlying　her　every　look。　She　hers