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It was not until she heard Graydon co up the stairs that the solution flashed into her brain If Jane became the wife of this cherished son, Jaone! His lips would be sealed forever She laughed aloud in the frenzy of hope She laughed to think what a fool she would have been to forbid the e? Her salvation! Jane found her aled to confess that she had heard part of their conversation below, in order to account for her manner When Jane confided to her that she had proed her to avoid a long engagement She could say no more than that
Now she sat li from one to the other, exhausted by her suppressed emotions Suddenly, without a word, she held out her hand to Graydon In her deepest soul, she loved thisfellow She knew, after all, he orthy of the best wo her hand, his eyes glistening "Jane has told you? And you--you thinkinto his eyes, searching for a trace of the lowed in those of his father They were fair and honest and sweet, and she smiled to herself She wondered what his mother had been like
"Then I may have her?" he cried She looked up at her husband and he nodded his head
"Our little girl," he murmured It all came back to her like a flash Her deception, her imposition, her years of stealth--and she shuddered Her hand treain upon Graydon Bansemer Both men drew back in amazement
"Oh, no--it cannot, cannot be!" sheher eyes from Graydon's face In the same instant she recovered herself and craved his pardon "I aive her up Graydon," she panted, sht had co purpose in letting his son marry Jane Cable She never had ceased to believe that Bansemer knew the parents of the child she had adopted It had dawned upon her in the flash of that reat deal to this calculating father "David, won't you leave us for a fewI want to say to Graydon"
David Cable hesitated for an instant and then slowly left the rooely puzzled over that momentary exposition of emotion on the part of his wife He was a s up, but it wassuspicion struck in to explain her uncalled-for display of feeling It did not strike in until after he noticed that Ja marked attention to his wife