let us return now to the van kuren family, whom we last saw at the moment of their departure for europe. mr. van kuren having determined to give himself a long rest and his children opportunities for travel in foreign lands and study under the most competent instructors, journeyed at once to paris and there established himself in a great hotel intending to take a place in the suburbs of the french capital. laura and her brother amused themselves by walking and riding through the city, sometimes with their aunt and sometimes with mr. reed, their tutor, but there were many hours which they were compelled to spend in their rooms engaged in study, for their lessons went on under the supervision of their tutor just exactly as they had at home.

one morning they were sitting together in the parlor of mr. van kuren’s apartment talking about america and their many friends there, as they frequently did, and bruce’s name came up with the others.

252“i wish,” said laura, “that papa would let us write to him, because he must think it very strange that he has heard nothing from us since we went away. you see he knows nothing about us or why we had to break off our friendship so suddenly.”

“oh i’ll get around papa all right one of these days,” said harry carelessly, “and i’ve no doubt he’ll let me send him a letter when i ask him to.”

they were still talking about bruce and wondering whether he had completely recovered from his injuries, when the door opened and their father entered in company with a white haired gentleman whom they recognized at once as the one who had occupied the big house near their own and whose name they had long since been forbidden to mention. they looked up now with their eyes wide open with surprise, as their father called to them by name and said, “samuel, these are my children. you haven’t seen them since they were very small.” mr. dexter extended his hand and said with an extremely pleasant smile on his pale face, “yes i remember them very well. this is laura and this is harry. you don’t remember me, children, i suppose?”

253laura made no reply, but harry spoke up in his impulsive, boyish way and said, “why you’re the gentleman who lives in that, big square house, and used to come and see us ever so many years ago. i remember you well but papa told us long ago that we mustn’t—”

“that will do harry,” said his father hastily and in a stern tone of voice which his son was thoroughly familiar with. then he turned to mr. dexter and said, “it’s some years since we’ve seen you and i didn’t think the boy had such a good memory.”

“yes,” replied the other, who had been amused at harry’s interrupted remark, “a fatally good memory, i see. but how long do you intend to stay in paris?”

“a month or so,” said mr. van kuren, and then the children were sent out of the room and he and mr. dexter seated themselves and entered into a long talk which lasted until the time came for dinner. during that meal, of which mr. dexter partook also, he asked both harry and laura a great many questions about their studies and amusements, and evinced an interest in them which neither could quite understand. laura was burning to tell him all about bruce and his strange recollection of the old house, but no opportunity offered itself, 254and soon after dinner mr. dexter went out with her father, leaving the brother and sister to amuse themselves until bedtime.

that night laura made up her mind to speak to mr. dexter as soon as possible about the subject that was uppermost in her mind. she longed to ask her father or her aunt why it was that this old gentleman, whom they had been brought up to avoid, should suddenly appear before them in paris as her father’s friend and guest, but when on the following day she ventured to broach the subject, she was told so peremptorily that little children should not ask questions, that she did not venture to repeat her attempt, but determined to await an opportunity to speak to mr. dexter himself. that opportunity soon offered itself, for the old gentleman became a frequent visitor at the hotel, calling upon her father almost every day and either going out with him or else remaining for long and close conversations. miss van kuren went with them in their journeys or joined them in their talk, but it was some days before laura found the chance for which she was looking so anxiously.

one morning the old gentleman arrived just after the whole of the van kuren family, excepting 255laura, had gone out and it was she therefore who received him in the private parlor. mr. dexter seated himself in an easy chair by the fire and entered into conversation with the young girl regarding her lessons, her friends in america and the amusement which she found in paris. this was the chance she had been waiting for, and with an air of deep mystery she said.

“mr. dexter there was a very curious thing that happened some time ago and if i tell you i want you to promise me not to say anything about it to anybody not even to papa, and particularly not to harry.” in her eagerness she forgot the agreement she had made with bruce, an agreement which had more than once prevented him from speaking of the subject to friends and others who might have aided him in his search.

“certainly my dear, i will make that promise,” replied mr. dexter, with a beneficent smile, “now tell me what this mysterious thing is. i assure you i am very anxious to know.”

then laura told him the story with which my readers have been already made familiar—she described to him their acquaintance with bruce and repeated what he had told her in regard to the old house and his instant recognition 256of it. as she proceeded, the old gentleman’s interest in her story grew stronger and stronger, and when she ended he wiped the perspiration from his forehead with a hand that was by no means steady and exclaimed “what you tell me is very strange indeed! i remember the young man very well. he came up to my house one day to get some magazines and papers that i had there; and so he found harry that very day did he? well my dear, i scarcely know what to think of it, for strangely enough his story fits in with certain other things that i have learned within a year and makes it more than possible that—but after all what is the use of allowing such thoughts to enter my head?” and breaking off abruptly he rose from his chair pacing slowly up and down the floor talking indistinctly to himself as he did so.

and as he walked, laura, who had become thoroughly excited over the mystery which she found as romantic and interesting as any she had ever found in a novel, watched him intently, carefully noting the effect that her words had had on him and wondering what the meaning of the whole matter was.

“do you happen to know the address of this young man?” inquired mr. dexter suddenly stopping in his walk.

“mr. dexter * * * held out his hand for the address.”—page 257.

257“yes,” said laura, “i’ll run and get it for you, but you must never tell anybody that i did because it would make awful trouble for me.”

when she returned she found her father, her aunt and harry in the room and for a moment she was at a loss what to do, but mr. dexter, who was anxiously looking for her, held out his hand for the address and said, as laura placed the scrap of paper in it, “remember, this is our secret, my little girl, and harry is not to know anything about it.”

the way in which he said this and the smile with which his words were accompanied stimulated harry’s curiosity and at the same time served to put the elders off the scent. then the conversation was turned into other channels and in five minutes the incident had passed out of the minds of everyone but the two concerned in it.

that afternoon laura spread her writing materials on the parlor table and sat down to write her regular weekly letter to her dear friend in america, kitty harriott. she had just written “dear kitty,” when a thought came into her mind that caused her to drop her pen and sit for a moment in deep meditation. then with cheeks flushed with excitement, she continued as follows:

258“i hope you are well and enjoying yourself and that all the other girls are well too. we are having a splendid time here but we have to study as hard as we did at home. there is something that i want you to do for me and you must never tell any one that i mentioned it to you for it is something very mysterious and important. you know about bruce decker, the young fireman who was in the hospital. i have often talked to you about him. well, papa has made me promise not to write to him and i dare not disobey him, but i did not promise that you would not write to him, and something has happened which he ought to know. i want you to write him a letter and send it to the address on the scrap of paper enclosed. tell him that mr. dexter and papa are great friends now and he comes to see us every day. this morning i was alone when he called and he sat down and we had a long talk. i told him what bruce told me about the dexter house (just write it that way and he will know what i mean), and he was very much interested in what i said and got up and walked up and down the room talking to himself but i could not hear a word he said. then he asked me for bruce’s address and i copied it out and gave it to him right before papa and aunt sarah and harry who had all come into the room, and harry’s wild to know what was on the paper i gave him. now kitty you must do exactly what i tell you. bruce will know who you are because he has heard me talk about you and i’m sure he’s just dying to know you. but remember it is important that he should get this message right away and nobody must know anything about it. if he makes any answer to your note write to me at once. no more at present, from

your loving friend

laura van kuren.”