For more than an hour he walked the room; then kneeling by the bed, just

as a pale, silvery streak appeared along the eastern horizon, he

cried,-"O God, leave me not in darkness; give me some clew to the vanished

past, that I may know whether or not I have the right to this most

precious of all thine earthly gifts!"

And, burying his face, he strove as never before to pierce the darkness

enveloping his brain. Long he knelt there, his hands clinching the

bedclothes convulsively, even the muscles of his body tense and rigid

under the terrible mental strain he was undergoing, while at times his

powerful frame shook with agony.

The silvery radiance crept upward over the deep blue dome; the stars

dwindled to glimmering points of light, then faded one by one; a roseate

flush tinged the eastern sky, growing and deepening, and the first

golden rays were shooting upward from a sea of crimson flame as Darrell

rose from his knees. He walked to the window, but even the sunlight

seemed to mock him--there was no light for him, no rift in the cloud

darkening his path, and with a heavy sigh he turned away. The struggle

was not yet over; this was to be a day of battle with himself, and he

nerved himself for the coming ordeal.

After a cold bath he dressed and descended to the breakfast-room. It was

still early, but Mr. Underwood was already at the table and Mrs. Dean

entered a moment later from the kitchen, where she had been giving

directions for breakfast for Kate and her guests. Both were shocked at

Darrell's haggard face and heavy eyes, but by a forced cheerfulness he

succeeded in diverting the scrutiny of the one and the anxious

solicitude of the other. Mr. Underwood returned to his paper and his

sister and Darrell had the conversation to themselves.

"Last night's dissipation proved too much for me," Darrell said,

playfully, in reply to some protest of Mrs. Dean's regarding his light

appetite.

"You don't look fit to go down town!" she exclaimed; "you had better

stay at home and help Katherine entertain her guests. I noticed you

seemed to be very popular with them last night."

"I'm afraid I would prove a sorry entertainer," Darrell answered,

lightly, as he rose from the table, "so you will kindly excuse me to

Miss Underwood and her friends."

"Aren't you going to wait and ride down?" Mr. Underwood inquired.

"Not this morning," Darrell replied; "a brisk walk will do me good." And

a moment later they heard his firm step on the gravelled driveway.

Mr. Underwood having finished his reading of the morning paper passed it

to his sister.

"Pretty good write-up of last night's affair," he commented, as he

replaced his spectacles in their case.




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