Up the back stairs he crept to his room and left his violin.

A moment later he stole down again and sought Perry Larson whom he had seen smoking in the barn doorway.
"Perry, what is it ?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"What has happened--in there ?" He pointed toward the house.
The man puffed for a moment in silence before he took his pipe from his mouth.
"Well, sonny, I s'pose I may as well tell ye.

You'll have ter know it sometime, seein' as 't won't be no secret long.

They've had a stroke o' bad luck--Mr.an' Mis' Holly has." "What is it ?" The man hitched in his seat.
"By sugar, boy, I s'pose if I tell ye, there ain't no sartinty that you'll sense it at all.