the rest will come soon. Till you try,
you've no idea how difficult it is to tell a story--or even not a
regular story, just an account of simple things that really happened--at
all properly. The bits of it get so mixed. It's like a tangle of
thread--the ends you don't want keep coming up the wrong way, and
putting themselves in front of the others. I must just go on as well as
I can, and put down the things as straight as they'll come.

Well, Hebe and I had about finished the lessons we wanted to get done.
It was partly that Monday was going to be mother's birthday, and we
wanted to have a clear evening. Hebe and I always agree about things
like that; we like to look forward and arrange comfortably. Well, we had
just about finished, and I was getting up to begin putting away the
books, when the door opened and nurse came in looking just the least
little bit vexed. For she is good-natured.

She glanced round the room before she spoke, as if she was looking for
some one not there.

'The child's right,' she said, as if speaking to herself. 'I must say
she generally is. Master Jack,' she went on, 'and Miss Hebe, my dears,
tea's ready. But where are Miss Warwick and Miss Serry?'

We stared.

'Anne and Serry,' I said. 'I'm sure I don't know. Upstairs, I suppose.
They went straight up with Maudie when we came in, ever so long ago.'

'But indeed they're not upstairs,' said nurse, her face growing very
uneasy. 'That's what Miss Maud said too. She saw them go into the
nursery when she ran along to my room. But they are not there, nor in
any of the bedrooms; I've looked everywhere, and called too.'

'They may be reading in the little drawing-room,' I said, and both Hebe
and I jumped up to go and help nurse in her search. She had not thought
of the drawing-room, knowing mother had not come in.

'Have they taken off their hats and jackets?' asked Hebe.

Nurse shook her head.

'I've not seen them anywhere about, and Miss Anne and Miss Serry are not
young ladies that ever think of putting away their out-door things as
you do sometimes, Miss Hebe.'

Hebe hung back a little. We were following nurse upstairs.

'Jack,' she whispered,'do you know, while you and I were busy in the
schoolroom, I am sure I heard the front door shut. I hadn't heard the
bell ring, and I wondered for a moment why Alfred was opening when no
one had rung. But, you see, it may have been some one going out. Jack,
_do_ you think Anne and Serry can have