"Dear Uncle Robert: I married Blair Maitland this afternoon.
David did not want me. E.F."

They read it, looked at each other with astounded eyes, then read
it again. Nannie was the first to find words:

"I--don't understand." Miss White was dumb; her poor upper lip
quivered wildly.

"She and David are to be married," Nannie stammered. "How can she
marry--anybody else? I don't understand."

Then Miss White broke out, "_I_ understand. Oh, wicked boy!
My child, my lamb! He has killed my child Elizabeth!"

"Who has? What do you mean? What _are_ you talking about!"

"He has lured her away from David," the old woman wailed shrilly.
"Nannie, Nannie, your brother is an evil, cruel man--a false man,
a false friend. Oh, my lamb! my girl!"

Nannie, staring at her with horrified eyes, was silent. Miss
White sank down on the floor, her head on the lowest step of the
staircase; she was moaning to herself: "They quarrelled about
something, and this is what she has done! Oh, she was mad, my
lamb, my poor lamb! She was crazy; David made her angry; I don't
know how. And she did this frightful thing. Oh, I always knew she
would do some terrible thing when she was angry!"

Nannie looked at the closed door of the library, then at Miss