d
has come that he--isn't there."

"Where is the paper?" demanded Suzette, with a kind of haughty
incredulity.

Wade found it in his pocket, where he must have put it instead of giving
it back to Adeline in the sleigh. Suzette took it and went with it to
one of the windows. She stood reading the account of the accident, while
her sister watched her with tremulous eagerness for the help that came
from her contemptuous rejection of the calamity.

"How absurd! It isn't father's name, and he couldn't have been on the
train. What in the world would he have been going to Montreal for, at
this time of year? It's ridiculous!" Suzette flung the paper down, and
came back to the other two.

"I felt," said Wade, "that it was extremely improbable--"

"But where," Adeline put in faintly, "could he have been if he wasn't at
the Mills?"

"Anywhere in the world except Wellwater Junction," returned Suzette,
scornfully. "He may have stopped over at Springfield, or--"

"Yes," Adeline admitted, "that's what Elbridge thought."

"Or he may have gone on to Willoughby Junction. He often goes there."

"That is true," said the other, suffering herself to take heart a
little. "And he's been talking of selling his interest in the quarries
there; and--"

"He's there, of course," said Suzette with finality. "If he'd been going
farther, he'd have telegraphed us. He's always very careful. I'm not in
the least alarmed, and I advise you not to be, Adeline. When did you see
the paper first?"

"When I came down to breakfast," said Adeline, quietly.

"And I suppose you didn't eat any breakfast?"

Adeline's silence made confession.

"What I think is, we'd better all have _lunch_," said Suzette, and she
went and touched the bell at the chimney. "You'll stay with us, won't
you, Mr. Wade? We want lunch at once, James," she said to the man who
answered her ring. "Of course, you must stay, Mr. Wade, and help see
Adeline back to her right mind." She touched the bell again, and when
the man appeared, "My sleigh at once, James," she commanded. "I will
drive you home, Mr. Wade, on my way to the station. Of course I shall
not leave anything in doubt about this silly scare. I fancy it will be
no great difficulty to find out where father is. Where is that railroad
guide? Probably my father took it up to his room." She ran upstairs and
came down with the book in her hand. "Now we will see. I don't believe
he could get any train at Springfield, where he