e
to his bedside. I advised him not to disturb you until morning, but the
poor man is very restless and so I came here at this unusual hour. It
seems he is anxious to tell you some secret which your dead mother
confided to his keeping and, realizing his hours are numbered, he urges
you to lose no time in going to him. That is the message entrusted to
me."

There was no emotion in her utterance; the story was told calmly, as by
one fulfilling a mission but indifferent as to its success. Alora did
not hesitate.

"How far is it?" she quickly asked.

"A fifteen minute ride."

The girl glanced at her watch. It was not quite six o'clock. Mary
Louise and the Colonel would not appear for breakfast for a good two
hours yet and after breakfast they were all to go to the yacht. The
hour was opportune, affording her time to visit poor Doctor Anstruther
and return before her friends were up. Had Alora paused to give Janet's
story more consideration she might have seen the inconsistencies in the
nurse's statements, but her only thoughts were to learn her mother's
secret and to show her sincere consideration for her kindly old friend.

Hastily completing her attire she added her hat and jacket and then
said:

"I am ready, Janet."

"I hope we shall find him still alive," remarked the nurse, a cleverly
assumed anxiety in her tone, as she took the key from inside the door
and fitted it to the outer side of the lock.

Alora passed out, scarcely aware that Janet had pretended to lock the
door. Halfway down the hall the woman handed her the key.

"Come this way, please," she said; "it is nearer to the carriage which
is waiting for us."

At the rear of the building they descended the stairs and passed
through an anteroom fitted with lockers for the use of the employees of
the hotel. No one happened to be in the anteroom at that moment and
they gained the alley without encountering a single person. Janet
quickly led the girl through the alley and soon they came to a closed
automobile which evidently awaited them. Janet opened the door for
Alora and followed the girl inside the car, which started at once and
sped along the quiet streets.

"You will find Doctor Anstruther very feeble," said the nurse, "for he
has suffered greatly. But I am sure it will give him pleasure to see
you again. I hope he will recognize you. I scarcely recognized you,
myself, you have changed so much since last we saw you at the Voltaire.
Your resemblan