Over and over Laddie had told me himself.

He had been to visit our big sister Elizabeth over Sunday and about eight o'clock Monday morning he came riding down the road, and saw the most dreadful thing.

There was not a curl of smoke from the chimneys, not a tablecloth or pillowslip on the line, not a blind raised.

Laddie said his heart went--just like mine did when the Something jumped in the creek bed, no doubt.

Then he laid on the whip and rode.
He flung the rein over the hitching post, leaped the fence and reached the back door.