arm-chair, Susanna presently asked if Mrs. Thayer
could be told that Mrs. Fairfax was there.

"I think Mrs. Thayer is gone," said the attendant pleasantly. "I'm not
sure, but I'll see."

In a few minutes she returned to inform Mrs. Fairfax that Mrs. Thayer
had just come in to have a bridge replaced, and was gone.

"You don't know where?" Susanna's voice was a trifle husky with
repressed emotion. She realized that she was getting a headache.

No, the attendant didn't know where.

So there was nothing for it but to go back to Jim's office, and back
Susanna accordingly went. She walked as fast as she could, conscious of
every separate hot step, and was nervous and headachy when she entered
Miss Perry's presence again.

Mr. Fairfax and Mrs. Thayer had not come in; no, but Miss Perry
reported that Mr. Fairfax had telephoned not ten minutes ago, and
seemed very anxious to get hold of his wife.

"Oh, dear, dear!" lamented Susanna. "And where is he now?"

Miss Perry couldn't say. "I wrote his message down," she said, with
sympathetic amusement at Susanna's crushed dismay. And, referring to
her notes, she repeated it:

"Mr. Fairfax said that Mrs. Thayer had had an appointment to see a sick
friend in a hospital this afternoon. But she has gone right out there
now instead, so that you and she can go shopping after lunch. You are,
please, to meet Mr. Fairfax and the Thayers at the Palace for luncheon
at half-past one; there'll be a table reserved. Mr. Fairfax has a
little business to attend to just now, but if you don't mind waiting in
the office, he thinks it's the coolest place you could be. He wanted to
know if you had the whole afternoon free--"

"Oh, absolutely!" Susanna assented eagerly. This was not the time to
speak or think of the bridge club.

"And that was all," finished Miss Perry, "except he said perhaps you
would like to look at the plans of the orphanage. Mr. Fairfax got them
out to show to Mr. Thayer this afternoon. I can get them for you."

"Oh, thank you! I do want to see them!" said Susanna, gratefully. And
she established herself comfortably by the open window, the orphanage
plans, a stiff roll of blue paper, in her lap, her idle eyes following
the noonday traffic in the street below.

What a shame to have to sit here doing nothing, to-day of all days, for
nearly two hours! Susanna thought. Why, she could have met her luncheon
guests, seen that the meal was at least under way, apologized in
pers