“Carriage, ma’am?” said a hackman, touching her arm.

“Yes,” she said, mechanically, and put her hand in her pocket for her porte-monnaie, with a vague idea that she must pay him before she started.

She uttered a low cry of dismay!  Her pocket-book was missing!  She searched more thoroughly, but it was not to be found.  Her pocket had been picked.  She turned a piteous face to the hackman.

“My money is lost, sir!” she said, “but if you will take me to a place of shelter, I will remunerate you some way.”

“Sorry to be obliged to refuse, ma’am,” said the man, civilly enough, “but I’m a poor man, with a family, and can’t afford to keep my horses for nothing.”

“What is it, driver?” queried a rough voice; but in a moment a crowd had gathered around poor, shrinking Margie, and growling, indignant Leo.

“The woman’s lost her purse—­”

“Oh, ho! the old story—­eh?  Beauty in distress.  Should think they’d git tired of playing that game!” said the coarse voice, which belonged to a lounger and hanger-on at the depot.

“Looks rather suspicious, ma’am, for ye to be traveling on the train alone,” began the hackman; but he was interrupted by the lounger.

“That’s the way they all travel.  Wall, thank the Lord, I hain’t so gallant as to git taken in by every decent face I see!”

“Thank Heaven, I am not so lost to all sense of decency as to insult a lady!” said a clear, stern voice; and a tall, distinguished-looking man swept through the crowd, and reached Margie’s side.

“Indeed, I am not mistaken!” he said, looking at her with amazement.  “Miss Harrison!”

She saw, as he lifted his hat, the frank, handsome face of Louis Castrani.  All her troubles were over—­this man was a pillar of strength to her weakness.  She caught his arm eagerly, and Leo barked with joy, recognizing a friend.

“I am so glad to see you, Mr. Castrani!”

His countenance lighted instantly.  He pressed the hand on his arm.

“Thank you, my friend.  What service can I render you?  Where do you wish to go?  Let met act for you.”

“Oh, thank you—­if you only will!  I was going further, but the train I wished to take has been gone some hours, and I must stay here to-night.  And on my way, somewhere, my money has been stolen.”

“Give yourself no more uneasiness.  I am only too happy to be of any use to you.”

The crowd dispersed, and Castrani called a carriage, and put Margie and Leo inside.

“Have you any choice of hotels?”

“None.  I am entirely unacquainted here.  You know best.”

“To the ——­ House,” he said to the driver; and thither they were taken.

A warm room and a tempting supper were provided, but Margie could not eat.  She only swallowed a little toast, and drank a cup of tea.  Castrani came to her parlor just after she had finished, but he did not sit down.  He had too much delicacy to intrude himself upon her when accident had thrown them together.