She waited eagerly as the days passed by for a word from Maggie Brady that she was willing to see her.

At last it came, and Faith hurried down to the jail.  She had no difficulty whatever in securing Mr. Denton’s permission.

At the first glimpse of Maggie behind prison bars she nearly burst into a fit of crying.  The girl was so haggard and pale that she hardly knew her.

“I suppose you’ve come to gloat over me,” were the prisoner’s first words, “but it don’t matter to me.  You can come if you want to.”

“Oh, Miss Brady, don’t say that,” cried Faith, with the tears springing to her eyes.  “I have come to see you—­to try and cheer you.  Do, please, believe me!”

“How do you expect to cheer me?” asked Maggie sullenly, as the keeper opened the door of her cell and let her out into the corridor.

“I don’t know that I can,” said Faith, very sadly, “but you will let me try, at least, won’t you, Maggie?”

There was a yearning in her voice that the woman could not miss.  She stared at Faith steadily, as though trying to read her soul, and in a moment her face softened and she spoke more gently.

“Oh, I have no doubt you are sorry for me, and all that,” she said slowly.  “That’s natural, but, see here; I don’t want any sympathy.”

“But you do want my friendship, don’t you, Maggie?” said Faith; “and that is what I have come to offer you—­just my honest friendship.”

In an instant the fiend in the girl woke again.

“Do you expect me to believe that?” she hissed in a whisper, “after doing your best to cut me out with Jim Denton?”

She glanced at the girl with a perfect storm of fury in her eyes, but Faith’s glance did not waver; she only shook her head sadly.

“I am sorry you will not believe me, Maggie,” she said softly, “but it is the truth that I have never flirted with Mr. Denton, and the only times I ever saw him in my life before this trouble arose were twice, when you saw us together.”

“I don’t believe you,” said her listener, sharply.  “If you had never flirted with him why did he send you candy?”

“I don’t know, I am sure,” said Faith hopelessly.  “Perhaps he thought I was young and silly, and would not know that he was insulting me.”

Miss Brady looked at her with some surprise in her eyes.

“Did you consider it an insult?” she asked, slowly.

“Certainly,” said Faith.  “He had no right to do so.  He forced it upon me; I did not want it.”

“And he has never made love to you?” asked the woman eagerly.

She was bending forward, staring at Faith with a strained expression upon her features.  To save her life, Faith could not help blushing.  Hers was a tell-tale face—­it portrayed every emotion.

“I knew it!  I knew it!” cried Miss Brady sharply.  “You would not blush as you are doing if he hadn’t done it!”

“But he hasn’t, I assure you,” said Faith, as soon as she could speak.  “Mr. Denton has flattered me a little, of course, but I can honestly say that he hasn’t made love to me.”