long-lost heir and all that sort of thing. How tiresome that will be

for me, though."

She was in a mood to be cruel to-night. She held out the keys to

him, in a disinterested fashion, and dropped them daintily into his

outstretched palm, just as she might have given a coin to an unusually

grimy mendicant. But the tips of her fingers grazed his hand.

That did the mischief. Her least touch was enough to set every nerve

in his body a-tingle. "Peggy!" he said hoarsely, as the keys jangled

to the floor. Then Mr. Woods drew a little nearer to her and said

"Peggy, Peggy!" in a voice that trembled curiously, and appeared to