might
underlie his hope that they were dead, she could not guess; she could
not think or reason about that now; what she felt was only overwhelming
desire to be away from him where she could think connectedly. For an
instant she stared at him, all her body tense; then, as she turned and
went out, he followed her, again calling her name. But, seeing the
seamen in the larger office, he stopped, and she understood he was not
willing to urge himself upon her in their presence.

She crossed the office swiftly; in the corridor she stopped to compose
herself before she met her mother. She heard Henry's voice speaking to
one of the clerks, and flushed hotly with horror. Could she be certain
of anything about him now? Could she be certain even that news which
came through these employees of his would not be kept from her or only
so much given her as would serve Henry's purpose and enable him to
conceal from her the reason for his fear? She pushed the door open.

"I'm willing to go home now, mother, if you wish," she said steadily.

Her mother arose at once. "There is no more news, Constance?"

"No; a schooner has picked up the crew of the ship the ferry rammed;
that is all."

She followed her mother, but stopped in the ante-room beside the desk
of her father's private secretary.

"You are going to be here all day, Miss Bennet?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss Sherrill."

"Will you please try to see personally all messages which come to
Corvet, Sherrill and Spearman, or to Mr. Spearman about the men from
Number 25, and telephone them to me yourself?"

"Certainly, Miss Sherrill."

When they had gone down to the street and were in the car, Constance
leaned back, closing her eyes; she feared her mother might wish to talk
with her. The afternoon papers were already out with news of the loss
of the ferry; Mrs. Sherrill stopped the car and bought one, but
Constance looked at it only enough to make sure that the reporters had
been able to discover nothing more than she already knew; the newspaper
reference to Henry was only as to the partner of the great Chicago ship
owner, Benjamin Corvet, who might be lost with the ship.

She called Miss Bennet as soon as she reached home; but nothing more
had been received. Toward three o'clock, Miss Bennet called her, but
only to report that the office had heard again from Mr. Sherrill. He
had wired that he was going on from Manistique and would cross the
Straits from St. Ignace; mess