d her right to
consideration--there was no telling what might have happened by this
time. Mrs. Whipp's smile was frightfully complacent.

"Miss Upton and her went together," was the reply. "Of course, all the
girl's clo'es was in the den o' that fiend she got away from, and she
had to git some more."

Mrs. Barry breathed freer.

"Miss Upton cal'lated to get some things from her customers and fix 'em
over, but Mr. Barry, he wouldn't have it so."

"Are you referring to my son?"

"Yes, Miss Upton said he turned up his nose at hand-me-downs, so she had
to jest brace up and git 'em new."

Mrs. Whipp's eyes seemed to see far away and her expression under the
protecting towel was one quite novel.

Mrs. Barry cleared her throat.

"My son was here, then, before he went away on his--his little trip."

"Yes," replied Mrs. Whipp, appearing to perceive Dan Cupid over her
visitor's shoulder. "He come in to bring the apple blossoms and ask how
Geraldine was, and that night sech a box o' candy as he sent her! You'd
ought to 'a' seen it, Mis' Barry. P'r'aps you did see it." Charlotte met
the lady's steady eyes eagerly.

"No, I did not see it."

"Well, that poor little girl she couldn't half enjoy them bon-bons,
'cause she was so scared somethin' was goin' to happen to Mr. Barry."

"What do you mean?"

"Why, she was afraid he'd gone back to that farm where they murder folks
as quick as look at 'em." Charlotte sniffed a sniff of excited
enjoyment.

"What would he go there for?" demanded Mrs. Barry. "Surely not to get
those foolish clothes!"

"I don't know. I only know Geraldine cried. Miss Upton said so; but she
told her how Mr. Barry was jest as smart as he was brave and she took
her to the city to git her mind off."

Charlotte smiled with as soft an expression as the unaccustomed lips
could reveal, and nothing but stamping her aristocratic foot could have
expressed Mrs. Barry's exasperation.

"I am quite sure my son would not take any absurd and unnecessary step,"
she said, with such hauteur that Mrs. Whipp came out of her day-dream
and realized that the great lady's eyes were flashing. Without another
word the visitor turned and left the shop, her black and violet cape
sweeping through living-room and kitchen and back into her machine.

The rest of the day was spent by the lady in alternations of scorn,
vexation, and anxiety.

Late in the afternoon she heard a motor enter the grounds, and hurrying
to the door