y classes and watched the mail. I had the letter from Ida and
the bill from the store in my hands when you surprised me this
afternoon. You picked them up before I had a chance to do so. Then
I knew that there was just one thing to do and that was to go away.

"Please take the money order and pay the bill at the store. I will
pay Semper Fidelis as soon as I can. I will write Ida and tell her
how badly I have behaved, and when I go to work in New York I will
send for my trunk. It is packed and ready to be shipped.

"Forgive me if you can. I am sorry for everything. I wish I had been
different. Good-bye and thank you for your great kindness to me. I
did not deserve it. Please don't try to find me.

"Penitently,

"EVELYN WARD."

For a time Grace sat at her desk with the letter in her hand. Then she
stood up with the air of one who has come to a definite decision. "I'll
go to New York City to-day to look for her," she said half aloud. "I
believe she will try to get work at one of the theaters. Mr. Southard
and Anne will help me find her. She must come back to Overton. I feel
sure that she has suffered enough over this trouble to have learned her
lesson."

Grace ran upstairs and burst into her room with, "Emma, Evelyn has gone
to New York! I'm going to take the next train there. Read this letter.
It will tell you everything. I haven't time. I must make that 9.15
train."

Grace was in the middle of a hasty toilet when a knock sounded on the
door.

Emma answered it.

"Here's a telegram for Miss Harlowe." The maid held out a yellow
envelope.

Grace tore it open. One glance at the telegram and she began a joyful
dance about the room, waving it over her head. "Hurrah for Kathleen
West! She found Evelyn! Read it."

She held the telegram before Emma's eyes.

"Evelyn with me. Return Overton Sunday. All well

"KATHLEEN."

read Emma aloud. Turning to Grace she quoted with whimsical tenderness,
"To Kathleen West, girls, drink her down." Then with twinkling eyes she
added, "There's only one thing that I can say to express my sentiments,
and, with my sincerest apologies to the august faculty which trustfully
engaged me to teach English, I say it with heartfelt fervor, 'Can you
beat it?'"

CHAPTER XXIII

KATHLEEN WEST, CONFIDANTE

When Evelyn Ward left Grace Harlowe with the letters, which she had
tried so hard to obtain, in her p