she was always boasting about!

Win, pale and absent-minded (but that might be the heat), was giving
the finishing touches to a cloaked group of figurines when a letter
was brought to her by a messenger boy. It was not yet time for Peter
Rolls's doors to open to the world, but the girl had to finish her
task before reading the note. A glance at the envelope showed Sadie's
handwriting, and as Sadie ought at that moment to have been making
the toilets of dolls upstairs, Win realized that something unexpected
must have happened.

Perhaps Sadie was ill and wanted her to explain to the management. She
must make short shrift with the figurines and be ready to help Sadie
before strenuous life began.

Five minutes later five headless ladies in perfectly draped wraps were
showing off their finery to the best advantage, and their tiring maid
was standing as still as they, an open letter in her hand.

"What's the matter?" asked a pretty, snub-nosed girl who laughed
oftener than Win in these days. "You look as if you'd lost your last
friend."

"I'm afraid--I have," Winifred replied in a strange, withdrawn voice
which made Daisy Thompson's eyes widen.

"Say! I'm real sorry! I hope it ain't your beau."

Win did not answer, because she did not hear. Sadie! Sadie! The dear
little old sardine!

"Good-bye, deerie," she read again. "I coodn't of said this to yure
fase. I only noo for shure yesterdy. Its cunsumsion and they won't
have me back for fere of my giving it to others. I gess thats right
tho its hard luck on me. It aint that I care much about living. I
dont, becawse theres sum one I love who loves another girl. Shes a lot
better than me and werthy of him so thats all right too but it herts
and Id be kind of glad to go out. Dont you be afrade of me doing
anything silly in the tabloyde line tho. I wont. Im no coward. But I
got to leeve this house for the same reeson as the Hands. I mite give
my truble to sum one else. Its a good thing we found out in time. Ive
hurd of a noo plase where they take consumps for nuthing, and Ive got
to steer for it. Its in the country but I wont tell you where deerie
or you mite try to see me and I dont think I cood stand it the way I
feel now. But I love you just as much. Good-by. Yure affecshunate
Sadie."

Win was overwhelmed. Lately she had seen little of her friend. Neither
girl had much time, and the weather had drunk all their energy. She
ought to have guessed from Sadie's thinness th