he cheek. "And it wasn't
such a trial, after all, was it?"

Her father looked down at her quizzically.

"No, my dear," he answered. "In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I fancy he'd
be a mighty interesting talker if there weren't any distractions around.
Not that I blame him," he added, hastily. "I was that way myself once
upon a time," and he bent and kissed her tenderly again.

Susie, before her glass, stared at herself long and earnestly, then took
down her hair and proceeded to arrange it in various ways. At last, she
got out a diamond bracelet, placed it tiara-wise upon her head, and
studied the effect. She was thus engaged when an agitated tap at the
door gave her a mighty start, and she had just time to snatch off the
decoration when Nell burst in, her face white with emotion.

"Why, what is it, Nellie?" cried her sister, springing up.

"I--I've lost it!" gasped Nell, sinking limply into a chair, and
trembling convulsively. "I'm sure--it's been stolen!"

"Lost it!" echoed Sue, reviewing in one quick mental flash Nell's most
valuable possessions. "Not the diamond necklace!"

"Oh, Sue!" wailed Nell. "How can you be so mercenary? Oh, I wish it was
the necklace! But it isn't! It's the note!"

It was Sue's turn to gasp, to turn pale, to sink into a chair.

"The note!" she echoed, hoarsely. "Not Lord Vernon's!"

Nell nodded mutely, her face a study for the Tragic Muse.

"But I thought you destroyed it," said Sue. "You said you were going
to!"

"I know--but I didn't," answered Nell, a faint tinge of pink in her
pallid cheeks. "I--I didn't see the need of destroying it. I supposed
nobody knew, and I--I thought I'd keep it as a--a souvenir, you know. I
had it in my desk. I am sure I locked it before I came down this
evening, but just now I found it open and the note gone."

"Well, and what did you do then?"

"I looked all through the desk--I thought maybe it had slipped out of
sight somehow--but it hadn't--it wasn't there. Then I called the maid,
Julie, and told her something had been stolen. She swore no one had
entered the room since I left it--that no one could have entered it. Of
course, I couldn't tell her about the note, so I sent her away and came
to you. I--I feel like a traitor. I don't know what to do!"

Susie went to her and put her arms about her and drew her close.

"We can't do anything to-night, dear," she said; "that's certain.
To-morrow you must tell Lord Vernon."

She felt Nell quiver at th