170
XVIII. THE BLOTTED ESCUTCHEON 182
XIX. THE SWORD OF SUSPENSE 194
XX. THE AWAKENING 204
XXI. KATHLEEN WEST MAKES A PROMISE 213
XXII. FIGHTING LOYALHEART'S BATTLE 222
XXIII. GRACE SOLVES HER PROBLEM 230
XXIV. THE BOND ETERNAL 249

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GRACE HARLOWE'S PROBLEM

CHAPTER I

THEIR GREATEST, DEAREST DAY

"And at this time next week we'll all be back at work," sighed Arline
Thayer. "Not that I love work less, but the Sempers more," she
paraphrased half apologetically. "It's been so perfectly splendid to
gather home, and Elfreda was a darling to plan and carry out such a----"

"Noble enterprise," drawled Emma Dean. "Behold in me a living witness to
the truth of it. Before this time, when, oh, when, has this particular
scion of the house of Dean had a chance to play in the nice clean sand
and bathe in the nice green ocean? It is green, isn't it, Grace? Elfreda
says it's blue, and those terrible, tiresome, troublesome twins say it's
gray, but I say----"

A shower of small pebbles, cast with commendable accuracy, rained down
on Emma. Raising herself on her elbows from her recumbent position in
the sand, she looked reproachful surprise at the Emerson twins who,
crouched in the sand and holding a fresh supply of pebbles in readiness,
awaited her next remark.

"There," she declared calmly, "that simply proves the truth of my remark
about terrible, tiresome, troublesome twins."

Two slim blue figures dropped their pebbles, descended upon the
protesting Emma, and dragged her across the sand toward the water.

"Are we tiresome?" demanded Sara sternly, as she and Sue, still
clutching Emma, paused for breath.

"Are we troublesome?" from Julia.

"Not a bit of it," Emma blandly assured them. "I said it only for the
sake of alliteration. You are the most interesting persons I've ever
met. I am so sorry I said you weren't, and I'm so nice and comfortable
now. I hadn't thought of doing any further water stunts to-day." She
struggled to a sitting posture and beamed with owlish significance upon
her captors.

"All right, we'l