could knock. She forced her usual
laugh, but he saw the white preparedness of her face.

"She knows my crime," he thought, and was in agony to guess how she had
got the knowledge and what she would do with it.

"Why, Arthur," she sweetly began, "what brings you"--But her throat
closed.

"Mother," he interrupted emotionally as they shut themselves in, "is
Isabel here?"

"Isabel?--No-o! Why--why, Arthur, she went home last night before ten
o'clock!" The little lady knew her acting was not good, but it was
better than she had hoped to make it. "Arthur Winslow! don't tell me my
child is not at home! Oh, my heavens!"

"Wait, mother; listen. I beseech you. Do you absolutely know she's not
here?"

"I know it! Oh, Arthur, are you only trying to break bad news to me by
littles? Has Isabel destroyed herself? Has she fled?" The inquirer
played well now; her pallor, that had seemed to accuse him, was gone,
and her question offered a cue which he greedily took.

"Fled? Isabel! Destroyed herself,--that spotless soul? Oh no, no, no!
But Oh merciful God! I am afraid she has been stolen!" He sank into a
seat and dropped his face into his hands.

The maid's steps sounded overhead, and he started up. Mrs. Morris laid a
hand on his arm. She was pale again, but her words were reassuring.

"It's Minnie," she murmured: "let me go and see her. She'll not be
surprised; I'm always the first one up." She went, and was soon back
again.

"There is no time to lose"--Arthur began.

"No, you must go. Go search for every clue that will tell us a word of
her; but, whatever you do, let no one, not even Sarah, know she is
missing, until we know enough ourselves to protect her from every shadow
of reproach!"

"True! true! right! right!" said Arthur, while with secret terror he
cried to himself: "This woman knows! She knows, she knows, and all this
is make-believe, put on to gain time!"

But he saw no safer course than to help on the sham. "Right," he said
again; "only, mother, dear, how shall we hide her absence?"

"We needn't hide it. You know she got another telegram last night,
begging her to come at once to the wedding. We can say she went on this
morning's train, before day; it makes such good Southern connections.
And now go! make your search with all your might! and after a while I'll
come over and pack a trunk full of her things, and express it South,
just as if she were there, and had gone so hurriedly that--Don't you
see?"

A