the 'phone. But I was busy. I'm so upset, Miss
Kate, about them champagne glasses. We've telephoned over the river--"

"Never mind the champagne glasses! What about Miss Forrest? How did she
go? When did she go?"

"She went in Mr. Osborne's automobile. Miss Osborne sent you some
beautiful flowers, Miss Kate. Oh they're just lovely!"

"Oh, I don't care anything about flowers! You say Ann went in the
machine?"

"Yes'm. She told the chauffeur--he brought the flowers--that big colored
man, you know, Miss Kate--that she was called away, and would he take
her to the station. And he said sure he would--and so they went. But,
Miss Kate--it's most five o'clock--what will we do about those two
champagne glasses!"

"Merciful heavens, Nora! Stop talking about them! I don't care what you
do about them!"

She went down to the library. "Look here," she said to the Major, "what
is this? What have you done? Where's Ann gone?"

"I don't know a thing about it. I went over to the office--an
appointment--and when I came back--hurried back because I was worried
about you--I saw her going away in the Osborne car."

"And never tried to stop her?"

"See here, Katie. Why should I stop her? Best thing you can do is
let her go."

"Do you know--do you know," choked Katie--"that she may kill herself?"

He laughed. "Oh I guess not. Calm down, Katie. She had her wits about
her, all right. I heard her tell the man to drive her to the station. She
had sense enough to take advantage of the car, you see. I guess she knows
the ropes. Don't think she has much notion of killing herself."

"Oh you don't. Much you know about it! You with your fine noble
understanding of life!" She turned away, sobbing. "What shall I do? What
_shall_ I do?"

But in a moment she stopped. "The thing for me to do," she said, "is
telephone the Osbornes' chauffeur."

Which she did. Yes, he had taken the young lady to the station. He didn't
know where she was going. He just pulled in to the station and then
pulled right out again--she told him there was nothing more to do. He
didn't believe she bought a ticket. He saw her walking out to get a
train. No, he didn't know what train. There were two or three trains
standing there.

"What can I do?" Katie kept murmuring frantically.

Suddenly her face lighted. She sat there thinking for a moment, then
called her brother's office. Wayne, she was glad to find, was not there.
She asked if she might speak to Mr. Ferguson.