dressed, and her face showed she had been crying.

"Dorothy," she said, her voice trembling and the tears welling into her
eyes, "I must--go home!"

"Why?" asked Dorothy, surprised and startled.

"Dad says so. I must go first thing in the morning."

"Your letter?"

"Yes, it was from father."

"Has anything happened?"

"Yes, and no. Father has--misunderstood some letters of mine. He found
them since I came away--and he blames me-- Oh, Doro!" and Tavia covered
her face with her hands. "How I wish I had told you before!"

Tavia was sobbing bitterly. Instantly there came to Dorothy's mind the
thought of Miss Brooks' warning, her advice to tell Tavia before it was
too late, before all the harm was done. And had she delayed too long? Even
that one day might have been sufficient time in which the threatened
danger had become a certainty.

"Tavia, dear, don't go on so! It cannot be--so very dreadful."

"Oh, but it is! I never should have done such a thing. I knew better, and
I tried to convince myself that I did not. Then I should never have taken
your money. Oh, Doro, I deceived you, and I have deceived everybody!"

"You are excited and everything seems worse to you now, dear. Try to be
calm and tell me how I can help you."

"You cannot--nobody can. Father is angry--he wrote such a terrible letter,
and how I dread to face him!"

"Perhaps we can arrange it so you will not have to go," said Dorothy in
her own way of promptly attempting to save Tavia from the consequences of
her own folly. "It is all about money, I know."

"You know?"

"Yes; Miss Brooks told me that much."

"Miss Brooks told you!"

"She merely said you were in some difficulty and asked me to advise
you--to tell your father all about it," Dorothy said cautiously.

"Miss Brooks has no right to interfere!" snapped Tavia, immediately taking
offense. "Advice is always cheap!"

"But she surely did it out of kindness," continued Dorothy, "and she
really seemed very much concerned."

"I don't want to hear or know anything more about that--person. She is
evidently trying to cover up her little mistake in putting a ring in the
wrong bag. She knows absolutely nothing about me--she is merely guessing."

Tavia felt she was making bad worse; it was not a time to attempt further
deception. But somehow the idea of Miss Brooks speaking to Dorothy angered
her--she was the one to do that. Then followed the accusing voice of
conscience:

"But why did you