se pitiful efforts to be
cheerfully hospitable cut them both to the heart. Promising to come
again on the following day they left her, the forlorn little chatelaine
of a big house, grown oppresively empty since robbed of Tom's genial
presence.

As they neared Grace's home, both glimpsed in the same instant a taxicab
standing in the street directly opposite to the house.

"That taxicab is from the station!" exclaimed Grace. "Hurry, Arline, it
may be--" She broke off short, her heart thumping madly. She dared not
voice the hope that perhaps her weary waiting was over.

Arriving on the veranda, Grace made a hasty entrance through the open
hall door. Pausing in the hall, deep masculine tones, issuing from the
drawing room, caused her to speed toward the sound, Arline at her heels.
The voice was not Tom's, yet her first wild conjecture as she viewed the
stranger seated in a chair near the door, was that he might be Mr.
Blaisdell, the investigator, with news of Tom.

A faint cry of, "Stanley Forde!" from Arline sent over her a sickening
wave of disappointment. As they entered, the young man rose, looking the
reverse of amiable as he stepped forward, grim purpose in every feature.
Ignoring Grace he addressed himself to Arline with the stiff rebuke:

"I have been waiting for you for some time."

"I did not expect you." Arline's blue eyes flashed forth her
displeasure. Merely touching the hand he offered her, she said, "Mr.
Forde, this is my _friend_, Grace Harlowe."

The young man acknowledged the introduction with an ironical smile in
which Grace read trouble ahead for herself. She met him with a frank,
kindly courtesy that betrayed nothing of her inner mind. Personally, she
was not impressed in his favor.

"You will pardon my leaving you, Mr. Forde?" Mrs. Harlowe had also
risen. She now addressed the young man with a distant politeness which
Grace recognized as disapproval. From Arline she had learned of the
broken engagement. It seemed evident that she also had not been
favorably impressed with her guest's ex-fiance.

"Certainly. Very pleased to have met you," bowed the unwelcome caller.
Again Grace caught faint sarcasm in the speech.

Hardly had Mrs. Harlowe disappeared when he turned to Grace, his heavy
brows meeting in a decided frown. "I believe I am indebted to you, Miss
Harlowe, for a great disappointment which has recently come to me. Your
unkind interference has caused Arline to reconsider her promise to