oon."

"Oh, and I intended to get away early this morning."

"Get away where?" inquired Wally.

"Anywhere out of sight"--desperately.

He sat on the edge of her bed.

"Look here, kid, just what did happen?"

"You'll never understand, and I'm not going to talk about it," she said,
sullenly.

"You needn't take that tone," said her mother, sharply. "You've made an
utter fool of yourself, and of us, too."

"Now, Max, let her alone to-day," Wally protested.

"It's always 'Let her do it her own way,' with you. You backed her up in
this foolishness. We've had all the publicity I intend to have through
Isabelle. She will go back to school, and stay in retirement, until we
are ready to bring her out," said Mrs. Bryce, firmly.

"All I say is that to-morrow is soon enough to take it up with her. The
kid's had a bad fall, and she needs to get together."

"Yes, she has! She comes home and goes to sleep for sixteen hours, while
we read the newspapers."

"Newspapers?"

"Column after column of what you did to Cartel's opening. If he doesn't
sue Wally for a fat sum, I miss my guess."

"What did they say?"

"You can read them for yourself. I intend that you shall. If there is
any way to cure your conceit, I'd like to see it done," Mrs. Bryce
continued.

"Plenty of time later," urged Wally, distressed at his daughter's white,
tragic face. "Did Cartel say anything to you last night?"

Isabelle nodded.

"Dismissed you?"

Again she inclined her head.

"I should hope so," laughed Max, shortly. "Paper says he has gone to
Atlantic City with a nervous collapse."

"And the play?" Isabelle said.

"Closed. That's what you did. Must have endeared yourself to the
company."

With a groan, Isabelle turned her face to the wall, and Wally dragged
Max out of the room.

Later Miss Watts came in to offer tea. The girl refused it, but she
begged her companion to bring her all the morning papers.

"Wait until to-morrow, my dear," Miss Watts begged, alarmed at the
change in her.

"No. I want to get it over."

So the papers were brought.

After propping her up on pillows and seeing that she was bodily
comfortable at least, Miss Watts withdrew. Isabelle began at the beginning
and read every word about that unhappy opening. The articles were written
with a jocularity hard to bear. Most of them had graduated out of the
regular dramatic review columns on to the first page. "HILARIOUS OPENING
AT THE NEW YORK THEATRE!" "CARTEL'