to comfort Lillian,
who had lost her courage at the eleventh hour. When the time came for
her to go on, however, Lillian forgot her stage fright and made her
first entrance with the air of a seasoned trouper. The heavy work of
the play lay between Flora Harris and Madge, and in the enactment of
the little drama that followed it was difficult to realize that neither
of the two young women was a professional.

"Flora Harris's part is pretty well suited to her," Tom Curtis had
confided to Madge at the dress rehearsal the day before. "I can imagine
she would be quite likely to load the blame for her own misdeeds on the
other girl's shoulders. She wouldn't experience a change of heart at
the end of the stunt the way this girl did, either."

And Madge, being merely human, could not resist flashing him a glance
which meant that she quite agreed with him.

It was in the final scene, where the secretary makes her appeal to the
father of the girl, that Madge scored her greatest triumph. The rise
and fall of her clear voice, that Madeleine always asserted had "tears"
in it, coupled with the intense earnestness with which she made her
plea, called forth ungrudging applause, and when, after the cast had
taken several encores the audience still kept up a steady clamor, she
was obliged to appear between the silken curtains and make a little
speech. It was indeed Madge Morton's hour of triumph.

CHAPTER IX

MADGE MORTON'S SECRET

Mrs. Curtis had arranged that her younger guests should have
refreshments served to them in the small private dining room as soon as
their play was over. The older guests were to be served in another
larger room which she had engaged for that purpose.

In the middle of the dining room was a table decorated with a model
houseboat made of crystal candy. There were flowers, fruits and candies
on the table, which was lighted with candles.

When Madge, Lillian, Tom Curtis and Harry Sears entered the room
Eleanor and Phil were standing at one side of this table, talking to a
group of their friends. Directly after they took their places the two
Simrall boys and half a dozen other young people were ushered in, until
the room was comfortably full.

Suddenly, as though drawn by a curious force, Madge lifted her eyes.
She saw the dining room door open and Flora Harris enter. She was
followed by Alfred Thornton, whose face was a dull red and whose eyes
were lowered. Madge felt a premonition of disaster,