tombstone. I thought I saw
her squirm."

"How did they take it individually?" Clavering hoped she was finally
diverted. "Were they jealous and resentful?"

"Some. Elinor Goodrich had always been too besottedly fond of her to
mind. Others, who had been merely admirers and liked her, were--well,
it's too much to say they were enchanted to see Mary looking not a day
over thirty, but they were able to endure it. Isabel Lawrence thought
it downright immoral, and Polly Vane looked as if she had fallen into a
stinking morass and only refrained from holding her nose out of
consideration for her hostess. I think she feels that Mary's return is
an insult to New York. Lily Tracy was painfully excited. No doubt
she'll begin collecting for the Vienna poor at once and finding it
necessary to go over and distribute the funds in person. Mary lost no
time getting in her fine work for Vienna relief."

"But they'll all stand by her?"

"Oh, yes, she's Mary Ogden. We'd be as likely to desert New York
itself because we didn't like the mayor. And she'll need us. It's the
young women she'll have to look out for. My God! How they'll hate
her. As for Anne Goodrich and Marian Lawrence----"

Clavering sprang to his feet. "Who's that? Jim?"

A man was running up the stairs.

"Janet," said Mrs. Oglethorpe grimly. "She's out."

XXXIII

"Don't be a flat tyre,
Don't be a dumb-bell;
Run from the dumb ducks,
Run from the plumbers.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Oglethorpe pounded on the door with his stick. There was a sudden hush
in the room, then a wild scurry and a slamming door. He rattled the
knob and, to his surprise, for he had assumed that these wild parties
of his young friends were soundly barricaded, the door opened.

There were only four young men standing about a table covered with the
remains of a chafing dish supper and many champagne bottles, but an
excited whispering came through the partition. Young Farren was
leaning against the table, his large moon-face pallid with fright. As
he recognized Oglethorpe and Clavering fright was wiped out by
astonishment and relief.

"Thought you were the police," he muttered. "Though they've got no
business here----"

"I've come for Janet. Go into that room and bring her out at once."

"Janet ain't here. Haven't seen Janet for a week. Tried to get her on
the 'phone early this afternoon and couldn't----"

"If you don't go into that room a