Moving about almost automatically, she prepared Charlie's supper and gave it to him, and slipping a length of ribbon through his collar, tied him securely to a chair.

The little animal was intelligent enough to consider this an unusual proceeding on her part--and as a consequence of the impression it made upon his canine mind, refused to take his food.

She saw this--but made no attempt to coax or persuade him.

Opening a drawer in her oaken press, she took out pen, ink, and paper, and sitting down at the table wrote a letter.

It was not a long letter--for it was finished, put in an envelope and sealed in less than ten minutes.