in her eyes. "You said a while ago that you wondered
at my being so calm about Tom. I can't be anything else, because I never
allow myself to think that he won't come back. If I did, I'd be utterly
miserable. You thought this article in the newspaper might hurt me. Two
weeks ago it would have done so. But now! Somehow it seems to me to be
the first definite link in the chain that stretches between him and me.
It's the beginning of the end, and just as surely as I stand here I
believe something good will come of it."

CHAPTER XV

MERELY A LOOKER-ON

The three bearers of the news, which they had reason to believe would
prove so disturbing to Mrs. Gray, were doomed to disappointment. They
reached her home on Chapel Hill only to find that she had been summoned
early that afternoon to the bedside of an old friend who was very ill,
and would not return until late in the evening.

Grace was relieved at being thus able to postpone the detailing of the
disagreeable news. She was in a quandary regarding loyalty to Arline and
loyalty to her Fairy Godmother. She was of the opinion, however, that it
was the latter's right to know all, even at the expense of breaking the
confidence Arline had reposed in her. She had little doubt that Arline
would not object to such an action on her part, yet such was her nature
that she found it difficult to accept this view of the subject.

After Hippy and Nora had gone home that evening she wrote a long letter
to Arline, setting the matter frankly before her. She knew that before
the letter reached her friend, she would have already told all to Mrs.
Gray. Still she reflected that she had at least behaved fairly.

But the following morning brought with it the knowledge that Arline had
already taken the initiative. Special delivery was responsible for a
letter from an incensed Daffydowndilly, which fairly sputtered with
indignation. Grace was obliged to smile as seeking its contents she saw:

"DEAREST GRACE:

"That horrible, hateful old Stanley Forde is the most despicable
person in the whole world. I was simply furious when I read that
article about your fiance, Tom Gray. I called Stanley on the
telephone and accused him of giving the story to the newspapers. Of
course I knew in a minute it was he. I remembered all I had said in
that letter to you which I sent him by mistake. He actually laughed
and said that he did it to pay you for meddling.