Dr. Winston was there, and being told that he was, she
took her empty purse from her pocket and sent up her card. She would
have written Robin's name below hers if she had had a pencil or--had
thought about it.

The tiny card was placed upon a little silver salver and borne away
with all the dignity possible; but there was more amazement than
dignity in the good doctor's reception of it. Another moment he was
below, buttoning his top-coat as he came and demanding with a smile
that was rather anxious:

"To what am I indebted for the pleasure of this visit, Miss Dorothy
Calvert?"

But the tears were still too near the girl's eyes for her to meet jest
with jest. She could only hold out her arms, like the lonely,
frightened child she was and he promptly clasped her in his own.

Then "tinkle, tinkle, tinkle," ran a little bell in the Oak Knowe
library and over the telephone wire rang the doctor's hearty voice.

"Be at rest, Miss Muriel. Your runaways are found and I'll motor them
home in a jiffy!"

This was so joyful a message that Lady Jane and the Lady Principal
promptly fell upon one another's neck and wept a few womanly tears.
Then Miss Tross-Kingdon released herself, exclaiming:

"Oh! those dreadful police. Why did I violate the privacy of Oak Knowe
by setting them to search? I must recall the order right away--if I
can!"

Self-blame doesn't tend toward anybody's good nature and the head of
Oak Knowe School for Young Ladies had been sorely tried. Also, her
offense had come from the very girl she trusted most and was,
therefore, the more difficult to forgive. So clothing herself in all
her dignity, she was simply the Lady Principal and nothing more, when
for a second time the quiet of her domain was broken by the honk-honk
of an automobile, the door opened and Dorothy and Robin walked in. The
doctor had laughingly declared that he couldn't enter with them--he
was afraid! But though it was really only lack of time that prevented
him so doing, their own spirits were now so low that they caught the
infection of his remark--if not his spirit--and visibly trembled.

This was a sign of guilt and caught Miss Muriel's eye at once.

"What is the explanation of this, Dorothy? Robin?"

Dorothy had been pondering that explanation on the swift ride home.
Dr. Winston had called them the Good Samaritans and seemed pleased
with them. Maybe Miss Muriel would think so, too.

"We stayed to see--we had to be what he said. Goo