Ask her; she will tell thee." As the girl made her appeal to her father, the grave-faced, gentle woman who had remained with this household for nigh fourteen days stood quietly by.

Dinah Morse had not quitted the house since the day upon which the hapless Frederick had been stricken down by the fell disease.

For hardly had his remains been borne from the house before the mother fell violently ill of a wasting fever.

At first there were no special indications of the plague in her malady; but after a week's time these suddenly developed themselves.

From the first she had declared herself smitten by the distemper, and whether this conviction helped to develop the germs of the malady none could say.