mean enough
to do anything he could to hurt you. How long had he been talking to you
when I came in?"

"Just long enough for me to run past him and lock myself in."

"And how long do you think it would take him to steal it, if he thought
nobody was looking?"

"But he could not have stolen it, Martha; he was on the other side of
the room. The box is by the door where I left it; you can see it for
yourself. Oh what shall I do? Where could I have dropped it? It must be
at the store in that bundle. Mr. Mangan said I need not wait, and I did
not see him open it. He has found it by this time and he is waiting for
me. I will go right away and see him. Anybody could make a mistake like
that. He must--he WILL understand when I explain it all. Get my cloak
and hat, please, Martha. I will take the car up and back, and you can
have my coffee ready for me upon my return. I won't be half an hour. Oh!
how awful it is, how awful! If I had only found it out last night! I had
meant to work, but I could not after what happened. Mr. Mangan was very
much put out yesterday, and I know he will be furious to-day. No, you
need not come with me," and she was gone.

Martha closed the door, walked to the window, and stood looking through
the panes until the slight figure had reached the street, where she
caught up her skirt, to free her steps the better, and started on a run
for the car line. When the fragile form was lost in the whirl of the
traffic, Martha walked slowly to the table and sank into a chair, her
elbows resting on its top, her face in her hand.

The next instant she was on her feet examining Lady Barbara's
work-basket, wondering what Dalton had found in it, wondering, too, why
he had looked through it. Crossing to the dresser, she moved the plates
and cups, as he had done, searching for a possible note, or perhaps for
a duplicate key of their former apartment which he might have left for
Barbara, and then moved toward the door of the smaller chamber, behind
which her mistress had lain shivering. Her eye now fell on the box, the
lid awry. She remembered that this lid had been in that same position
when she had ordered the intruder from the room, and that, at the time,
she had thought it strange that Lady Barbara, always so careful, had
not fastened it to keep the dust from its contents. Stooping closer,
she examined the various articles. She noted that one sleeve of the lace
blouse had been lifted from its place, while the other