the room some officers of Corvet, Sherrill, and
Spearman's ships. Others among them, whom she did not know, were
plainly seamen too--men who knew "Ben" Corvet and who, on hearing he
was on the ferry, had come in to learn what more was known; the
business men and clubmen, friends of Corvet's later life, had not heard
it yet. There was a restrained, professional attentiveness among these
seamen, as of those in the presence of an event which any day might
happen to themselves. They were listening to the clerk who had
compiled the report, who was telephoning now, and Constance, waiting,
listened too to learn what he might be hearing. But he put down the
receiver as he saw her.

"Nothing more, Miss Sherrill," he reported. "The _Richardson_ has
wirelessed that she reached the reported position of the sinking about
half-past six o'clock. She is searching but has found nothing."

"She's keeping on searching, though?"

"Yes; of course."

"It's still snowing there?"

"Yes, Miss Sherrill. We've had a message from your father. He has
gone on to Manistique; it's more likely that wreckage or survivors will
be brought in there."

The telephone switchboard beside Constance suddenly buzzed, and the
operator, plugging in a connection, said: "Yes, sir; at once," and
through the partitions of the private office on the other side, a man's
heavy tones came to Constance. That was Henry's office and, in timbre,
the voice was his, but it was so strange in other characteristics of
expression that she waited an instant before saying to the clerk,

"Mr. Spearman has come in?"

The clerk hesitated, but the continuance of the tone from the other
side of the partition made reply superfluous. "Yes, Miss Sherrill."

"Did you tell him that mother and I were here?"

The clerk considered again before deciding to reply in the affirmative.
There evidently was some trouble with the telephone number which Henry
had called; the girl at the switchboard was apologizing in frightened
panic, and Henry's voice, loud and abusive, came more plainly through
the partition. Constance started to give an instruction to the clerk;
then, as the abuse burst out again, she changed her plan and went to
Henry's door and rapped. Whether no one else rapped in that way or
whether he realized that she might have come into the general office,
she did not know; but at once his voice was still. He made no answer
and no move to open the door; so, after waiting