up at eleven o'clock, and the hard task of saying
good-bye began. The boys were to leave early the next morning, so the
girls would not see them again until Easter.

"Don't forget to write," called Nora after Hippy, as he hurried down the
steps after the others, who had reached the gate.

"You'll hear from me as soon as we hit the knowledge shop," was the
reassuring answer.

At the corner the little party separated, Hippy, Reddy and Jessica going
in one direction, Anne and David in another, leaving Tom and Grace to
pursue their homeward way alone. As they turned into Putnam Square,
Grace gave a little exclamation, and seizing Tom by the arm, drew him
behind a statue of Israel Putnam at the entrance of the square.

"Marian Barber is coming this way with that horrid Henry Hammond," she
whispered. "I don't care to meet them. I have not spoken to him since
the house party, and Marian will be so angry if I cut him deliberately
when he is with her. I am sure they have not seen us. They were invited
to Miriam's to-night. We'll stand here until they pass."

The two young people stood in the shadow quietly waiting, unseen by the
approaching couple, who were completely absorbed in conversation.

"I tell you I can't do it," Grace heard Marian say impatiently. "It
doesn't belong to me, and I have no right to touch it."

Hammond's reply was inaudible, but it was evident that Marian's remark
had angered him, for he grasped her by the arm so savagely that she
cried out: "Don't hold my arm so tightly, Henry, you are hurting me. I
am not foolish to refuse to give it to you. Suppose you should lose it
all--"

They had passed the statue by this time, and Grace and Tom heard no more
of their conversation. There was a brief silence between them, then
Grace spoke.

"Tom, what do you suppose that means?"

"I don't know, Grace," was the answer. "It didn't sound very promising."

"I should say not," said Grace decidedly. "I feel sure that Henry
Hammond is a thoroughly unscrupulous person, and I shall not rest until
I find out what the conversation we overheard leads to."

"I believe you are right," said Tom, "and I'm only sorry I can't be here
to help ferret the thing out."

"I'll write and keep you posted as to my progress," promised Grace, as
she said good-bye to Tom at the Harlowe's door, a little later.

"Good-bye, Tom. Best wishes to Arnold. I'm sorry I didn't see him
again."

"Good-night, Grace, and good-bye," said Tom,