The Crimson Patch

lt weary and lifeless after the excitement and worry of the previous night and the hours of restless tossing that followed. Her father,

ather close to the room to-day—that is, don't go out 80for any length of time till I get back. I may not return before late afternoon, but don't let that worry you. And don't lose heart, honey! It will probably turn out all right. By the way, when we get down to t

ar her usual care-free self when weighed down with such a hideous burden of trouble. If she hadn'

both, with a covert keenness, when he thought himself unobserved. The captain treated Peter in precisely the same fashion as usual. Once only did she observe anything unusual in his manner. This was when the waiter, in passing behind him, brushed his shoulder with the edge of his tray. It w

t usually act that way over such a little thing. He probably has his suspicions of t

y Virginie and Madame Vanderpoel, hoping, yet almost dreading, to see them. But the

n warned her before he went away. "I don't want to think of the

t may I see

do to seem to avoid these people, either. But don't force any meeting, and above all things,

ches in again, and they would try to do some work, she (Patricia) attempting to make some copies of the sketches under Virginie's direction. In some such natural way the conversation might be led around to her father's sketches, a

ed up the office, asking to be connected with room 404

om is v

ean that Madame Vanderpoel and

this morning and went away for good.... No, they didn't

impressions save trivial ones for a long while. She was aware of the distant roar of the city, borne across the more quiet stretches of the park outside he

h of them were guilty and they were trying 85to conceal it by flight? One or both of them! No it could not be that Virginie was concerned. She would never, never believe that. And yet, if it were not so, why had Virginie gone away without a single word to the friend whom she declared she loved next best to her fa

uld, she could not keep her depressed thoughts from picturing the darkest aspect of everything. How her pleasant life had changed since yesterday a

t no appetite, requested that some crackers and a glass of milk be sent up at the s

uffled over nervously and hopefully. But they were only communications for her father, and no

partner, don't y

she asked, ab

s the way a bit, I figure. Yo

ad to have any one to speak to on the subject. "But I'm awfully surp

sage to give to you—that is, she meant it for a messa

darkest suspicions of her friend vanishing at once

ry and not doin' much. But when the little mam'selle handed me her grip,—the t'other one's back was turned for a minute,—she whispered to me low, 'Tell Miss Meade I'm going—' But she didn't get no 88further, 'cause the other one turned round q

cia. "But I can't understand why she was afraid to say i

thing about that pair," he hinted darkly.

t bade her desist. Was it, after all, kind, or even honorable, to pry into the aff

e message," she remarked, "and please drop 8

een to hear what he had to say about them,

ting her know she was going—perhaps she was trying to tell her destination; perhaps she was promising to write. But whatever it was, she had at least tried to send her some word. But why had her companion seemed to suspect it, to make it impossible? If indeed, s

she sat up very straight. There were not four—there were only three! For beyond all question she was certain now that Chester Jackson was in nowise concerned in the matter. She could not explain how she knew—

ead it breathlessly. It was from her father, written that morning from New York, and it told her that he thought he was on the 91track of something that seemed important. The matter would k

glad that he seemed to be in the way of discovering anything at all that would lead to the unraveling of their difficulty, but she felt

s?" he inqui

o, so lonely had been her day. "Father's going to be away ov

your pardon for speakin' about it, but 92you folks

e looked alarmed, to think that, by even so much,

you think you're giving anything away. I know a heap more than

et on to anybody. I ain't goin' to be a bell-hop all my life, I

to be then?" stammered

ng 93but a 'buttons' in this here hotel. It's great sport. You see, not suspectin' I got more'n enough sense to carry me through the day's work, folks lets out a lot of things b

eside being undoubtedly innocent of any complicity in the matter of the Crimson Patch might even

r us. The only trouble is, I can't tell you anything much about things, because they a

prised if I told you how much I do know!" Chet assured her darkly. "I gotta go now, because I been away from the o

n a maze of wonder over this n