es on it now! It's the most extraordinary...."

A little vexed at Mrs. Harrington's unbounded amusement, Susanna
terminated the conversation as soon as was decently possible, and went
kitchenward. In her anxiety not to miss her train back to the city, she
refused Teresa's offer of dainty sandwiches, pastries, and tea, and
merely stopped long enough to brush up her hair and to ascertain by
carefully enumerating them out loud that she had her purse, her gloves,
the orphanage plans, and the new time-table.

"This will seem very funny," said poor Susanna, gallantly to herself,
as she took her seat in the train and tried to ignore a really sharp
headache, "when once I see them! If I can only get hold of Jim, and if
the afternoon goes smoothly, I shan't mind anything!"

Only ten minutes late for her luncheon engagement, Susanna entered the
cool depths of the restaurant and, piloted by an impressed head waiter,
looked confidently for her own party. It was very pleasant here, and
the trays of salads and iced things that were borne continually past
her were very inviting.

But still there was no Mrs. Thayer and no Jim. Susanna waited a few
nervous minutes, sat down, got up again, and finally, at two o'clock,
went out into the blazing, unfriendly streets, and walked the five
short squares that lay between the restaurant and her husband's office.
A hot, dusty wind blew steadily against her; the streets were full of
happy girls and men with suit-cases, bound for the country and a day or
two of fresh air and idleness. Miss Perry was putting the cover on her
typewriter as Susanna entered the office, her own suit-case waiting in
a corner. She looked astonished as Susanna came in.

"My goodness, Mrs. Fairfax!" she ejaculated. "We've been trying and
trying to get you by telephone! Mr. Fairfax was so anxious to get hold
of those orphanage plans. Mr. Thayer wanted--"

"I've been following him about all day," said Susanna, with an
undignified, but uncontrollable gulp. She sat down limply. "WHAT
happened to the luncheon plan?" she asked forlornly. "Where is Mr.
Fairfax?"

Miss Perry, perhaps softened by the sight of Susanna's filling eyes and
tired face, became very sympathetic. "Isn't it TOO bad--I know you
have! But you see Mrs. Thayer couldn't see her friend in the hospital
this morning, so she came right down here and got here not ten minutes
after you left. She said she couldn't wait for you, as she had to be
back at the hospit