Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

Rogers, and that was to discover what had become of

her child.

"Was Lucy like you, or did she resemble her father?" asked Beth.

"She is--she was very like me when I was young," replied the woman.

"There is a photograph of her on the wall there between the windows; but

it was taken five years ago, when she was a child. Now she is--she was

eighteen, and a well-developed young woman."

"I've been looking at the picture," said Kenneth.

"And you mustn't think of her as dead, Mrs. Rogers," said Beth,

pleadingly. "I'm sure she is alive, and that we shall find her. We're

going right to work, and everything possible shall be done to trace your

daughter. Don't worry, please. Be as cheerful as you can, and leave the

search to us."

The woman sighed.

"Will believes she is alive, too," she said. "He can't sleep or rest

till he finds her, for my husband loves her as well as I do. But

sometimes I feel it's wicked to hope she is alive. I know what she

suffers, for I suffered, myself; and life isn't worth living when

despair and disappointment fills it."

"I cannot see why Lucy shouldn't yet be happy," protested Beth. "Tom

Gates is now free, and can begin life anew."

"His trouble will follow him everywhere," said Mrs. Rogers, with

conviction. "Who will employ a bookkeeper, or even a clerk who has been

guilty of forgery?"

"I think I shall give him employment," replied Kenneth.

"You, Mr. Forbes!"

"Yes. I'm not afraid of a boy who became a criminal to save the girl he

loved."

"But all the world knows of his crime!" she exclaimed.

"The world forgets these things sooner than you suppose," he answered.

"I need a secretary, and in that position Tom Gates will quickly be able

to live down this unfortunate affair. And if he turns out as well as I

expect, he will soon be able to marry Lucy and give her a comfortable

home. So now nothing remains but to find your girl, and we'll try to do

that, I assure you."

Mrs. Rogers was crying softly by this time, but it was from joy and

relief. When they left her she promised to be as cheerful as possible

and to look on the bright side of life.

"I can't thank you," she said, "so I won't try. You must know how

grateful we are to you."

As Beth and Kenneth drove back to Elmhurst they were both rather silent,

for they had been strongly affected by the scene at the farm-house.

"It's so good of you, Ken, to take Tom Gates into your employ," said the

girl, pressing her cousin's arm. "And I'm sure he'll be true and

grateful."

"I really need him, Beth," said the boy. "There is getting to be too

much correspondence for Mr. Watson to attend to, and I ought to relieve

him of many other details. It's a good arrangement, and I'm glad I

thought of it."

They had almost reached Elmhurst when they met the Honorable Erastus

Hopkins driving along the road. On the seat beside him was a young girl,

and as the vehicles passed each other Beth gave a start and clung to the

boy's arm.

"Oh, Ken!