"I'm so glad you've come," greeted Grace as her friend entered their
room. "Evelyn Ward hasn't come in yet and I'm worried about her. I saw
her this afternoon, but she hasn't been here since then."

"Very likely she is with Miss Parker." Emma spoke in an unconcerned
tone.

"No she isn't. I telephoned Miss Parker. She hasn't seen Evelyn for two
days."

"She hasn't?" Emma glanced at Grace in surprise. The ring of anxiety in
Grace's voice had not been lost upon her. "What's happened, Gracious!"
she asked.

For answer Grace handed Ida Ward's letter to Emma. "Read it," she
commanded.

Emma read the letter. "Do you think--" she began.

"What do _you_ think?" interrupted Grace. "What can one think? Evelyn
received her letter from Ida Ward before I received this. She knew that
this letter was on the way. This afternoon I found her at the door
sorting the mail. She had two letters in one hand, which she had
separated from the others. When she saw me she dropped the two. I
stooped to pick them up. Both of them were for me. I said, 'Did I
startle you, Miss Ward?' and she stammered something about expecting a
letter. She shoved the other letters into my hands and ran upstairs. I
haven't seen her since."

"Who was the other letter from that she had picked out?"

"Oh, it was a bill from Hanford's. I--" Grace stopped short and stared
at Emma. A horrible suspicion had seized her. She was afraid that she
now understood the meaning of the bill she had received. In one of those
curious, illumining flashes, which sometimes reveal in an instant what
seems hopelessly obscure, she had hit upon the truth.

Briefly she outlined the situation to Emma, who had long been her
confidante.

"You'd better let matters rest till to-morrow," advised Emma. "It's too
late to try to find her to-night. We would only create comment and
arouse suspicion if we telephone to the houses where her friends live.
It wouldn't surprise me if she had left Overton for good and all."

"We must find her," declared Grace with decision.

"What will you do with her if you do find her?"

"I don't know. That will depend entirely upon her. You are right,
though, about waiting until morning. We must protect her from the
consequences of her own foolishness. For she isn't wicked, Emma. She has
been carried away by vanity and love of dress. Perhaps if we gave her
another chance she would live all this down and be a different girl."

"Perhaps," Emma's tone was skept