g
haunted her morbidly.

She had, without knowing it, a touch of grippe. Not enough to make her
feel really ill, but merely sufficient to emphasize her dismal
sensations into actual mental misery, and she lay awake half the night
wondering mournfully why she had been allowed to leave the country and
thrust herself among the talented and fortunate. She was really quite
thorough in her distrust of herself.

In the morning she found a messenger with two notes, one from Elinor and
one in Bruce's strong hand, waiting her as she went down to her late
breakfast. Elinor's was very loving, ignoring the disagreeable Sunday
night and telling her that they were suddenly called away on business of
Bruce's, and that Judith, after spending a few days at Rockham with Mrs.
Shelly, was to come to share her room at Artemis for the rest of the
time. All had been arranged with Miss Ardsley by telephone while
Patricia was yet in bed.

Patricia was so excited by this surprising news that she hurried off to
Miss Ardsley's rooms with Bruce's unopened letter still in her hand.

Miss Ardsley explained that Elinor had called up about eight o'clock and
as the Directress had been positive she had seen Patricia cross the
courtyard on her way out just before that hour, she had told Elinor that
her sister was not in.

Patricia had to go away without expressing her indignation at the
mistake, and after she had read Bruce's short note in her own room, she
was glad to remember that she had not sinned again.

"Small Sister Pat," the note ran. "I know it isn't time for the puncture
you requested, but would it bother you if I asked when our own Miss Pat
is coming back? We're mighty lonesome for her. Elinor is dropping some
big tears while she thinks I am not looking, and I know it is because
she misses her old chum. Judy is divided between the desire to go to her
Mama Shelly's and her wish to find her jolly sister Pat. Do you think
you could look her up and tell her we're all sure that she wants to see
us as much as we want to see her?"

Patricia sat for a long time with the note in her hand, and then she put
her golden head down on it and cried heartily.

Then she sat up, and her face showed that the mists were beginning to
clear from that doleful future which had haunted her since last night.

"What a goose I've been, and what a perfect duck Bruce is," she said
heartily and then laughed out loud at her zoological titles. "Oh, how I
wish I'd had