Something gleamed pale blue in the light of the open door.  Mr. Maynard picked it up, and with a sigh that was a groan held it out to Swann.  It was a blue satin slipper.

“Heavens!” exclaimed Swann.  “She’s run out in the snow—­she might as well be barefooted.”

“S-sh-h!” warned Mr. Maynard.  Unhappy and excited as he was he did not forget Mrs. Maynard.  “Let us not alarm any one.”

“There!  See, her footsteps down the stairs,” whispered Swann.  “I can see them clear to the ground.”

“You stay here, Swann, so in case Mrs. Maynard or the servants awake you can prevent alarm.  We must think of that.  I’ll bring her back.”

Mr. Maynard descended the narrow stairway to the lower porch and went out into the yard.  The storm had ceased.  A few inches of snow had fallen and in places was deeper in drifts.  The moon was out and shone down on a white world.  It was cold and quiet.  When Mr. Maynard had trailed the footsteps across his wide lawn and saw them lead out into the street toward the park, he fell against a tree, unable, for a moment, to command himself.  Hope he had none left, nor a doubt.  On the other side of the park, hardly a quarter of a mile away, was the river.  Margaret had gone straight toward it.

Outside in the middle of the street he found her other slipper.  She had not even stockings on now; he could tell by the impressions of her feet in the snow.  He remembered quite mournfully how small Margaret’s feet were, how perfectly shaped.  He hurried into the park, but was careful to obliterate every vestige of her trail by walking in the soft snow directly over her footprints.  A hope that she might have fainted before she could carry out her determination arose in him and gave him strength.  He kept on.  Her trail led straight across the park, in the short cut she had learned and run over hundreds of times when a little girl.  It was hastening her now to her death.

At first her footsteps were clear-cut, distinct and wide apart.  Soon they began to show evidences of weariness; the stride shortened; the imprints dragged.  Here a great crushing in a snow drift showed where she had fallen.

Mr. Maynard’s hope revived; he redoubled his efforts.  She could not be far.  How she dragged along!  Then with a leap of his heart, and a sob of thankfulness he found her, with disheveled hair, and face white as the snow where it rested, sad and still in the moonlight.

CHAPTER XIX

Middleville was noted for its severe winters, but this year the zero weather held off until late in January.  Lane was peculiarly susceptible to the cold and he found himself facing a discomfort he knew he could not long endure.  Every day he felt more and more that he should go to a warm and dry climate; and yet he could not determine to leave Middleville.  Something held him.

The warmth of bright hotel lobbies and theatres and restaurants uptown was no longer available for Lane.  His money had dwindled beyond the possibility of luxury, and besides he shrank now from meeting any one who knew him.  His life was empty, dreary and comfortless.