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196 hair; yet I noticed that she didn't get very far from that dining-room door, and she kept her eyes on it, too.

"Miss Meade and the two young ladies and the hunchbacked boy were the only ones who had come down to breakfast; and when they finished and came out I watched Jane.

"She turned when she heard their chairs moved back and went up the back stairs; and I walked to the front of the hall and stood in the library door behind the curtain, where I could see up the main staircase. Miss Cissie left the dining-room first and started for her room; and there was Jane waiting for her in the upper hall. They stood talking together for a minute; and I saw Miss Cissie jump as if she'd been shot and grab Jane by the arm and drag her off down the hall.

"Miss Meade and her younger niece stayed in the dining-room talking to Peters; but before I had a chance to get upstairs Rannie Chalmers came out and started up ahead of me, so I went down the hall to the back stairs.

"When I reached the second floor he was just entering his room, talking to Gerda; and Miss Cissie and Jane were nowhere to be seen. Rannie's door was open and I waited here, where we are standing now, until Gerda came out; and then he followed her and went down-stairs again. I hurried over to Miss Cissie's door and listened. Jane was saying: 'Oh, miss, it's much too good for me'; and Miss Cissie said, 'Nonsense! I can't wear it any more now that I am in mourning, and I appreciate what you've done for me. I'll give you ever so many more pretty things if you will bring me any other messages that may come that way, Jane, and never tell anybody.'