mistaken," and the old gentleman passed his hand nervously
over the top of his head.

"That's perfectly terrible if it's really so," declared Ethel Blue, who
was an especial admirer of Gertrude Merriam's and a devout believer in
her ability to turn Elisabeth from a skeleton into a robust little
maiden.

"We must find out at once," and Ethel Brown put Elisabeth into her coat
with a speed that so disregarded all orderly procedure as to bring a
frown to the young Belgian's brow.

The two girls talked about the news in low, horrified tones on the way
back to Dorothy's, and down they sat, prepared not only to amuse
Elisabeth but to amuse her until the return of Miss Merriam, no matter
how late that proved to be.

It seemed an eternity but it was only half past five when she and Mrs.
Smith came back. The Ethels sat before the fire in the sitting room like
judges on the bench. They made their accusation promptly. Gertrude sat
down as if her knees were unable to support her. Her blue eyes stared
amazedly from one to the other.

"Mr. Clark says I am going away? That Dr. Watkins said he thought I was
going away?"

Her complete wonderment proved her not guilty.

"But I'm not going away! I haven't any idea of going away--unless you
want me to," and she turned appealingly to Mrs. Smith.

"My dear child, of course we don't want you to," and Mrs. Smith bent and
kissed her. "We love you dearly and we like your work. I can't think
what Mr. Clark could have meant--or Dr. Watkins--"

"It was Edward Watkins who told Mr. Clark," repeated Ethel Brown.

Gertrude sat stupefied.

"Unless the wish were father to the thought," ended Mrs. Smith softly.

"Unless he wanted it to be true?" translated Gertrude inquiringly.
"Unless--Oh!"

A blush burned its way from her chin to her brow and lost itself in the
soft hair that swept back from her temples.

"He wanted it to be true, and he said he thought it was going to happen.
Well, he's altogether too sure! It's humiliating," and she threw up her
chin and walked firmly out of the room, for the first time forgetting
Elisabeth.

"What does she mean?" Ethel Blue asked her aunt.

"Why is she humiliated?" asked Ethel Brown.

"What is she going to do?" was Dorothy's question.

"I don't know," Mrs. Smith replied to Dorothy. "We'd better not bother
her. Don't tease her with questions."

The girls obeyed, but they talked the matter over a great deal among
themselves and they would have