d. "Yes. I sent for you. I need you."

It was evident she needed some one. He would scarcely have known her for
Katie--so white, so shaken. "I'm glad you sent for me," he said simply.
"Now won't you tell me what I can do?"

"She's gone," whispered Katie.

"Where?"

"I don't know--I don't know where. Away. On a train. Some train. Any
train. Somewhere. I don't know where. I thought--oh you'll find her for
me--won't you? You _will_ find her--won't you?"

She had stretched out her hands, and he took them, holding them strongly
in both of his. "Don't you want to tell me what you know? I can't help
you unless you tell me."

Briefly she told him--wrenched the heart out of it in a few words. "You
see, I failed," she concluded, looking up at him with swimming eyes. "The
very first thing--the very first test--I failed. I wanted to do so
much--thought I understood so well--oh I was so proud of the way I
understood! And then just the minute it came up against _my_ life--"

Her head went down to her hands, and because he was holding them it was
upon his hands rather than hers it rested, Katie's head with its gold
brown hair all disorderly.

"Don't," he whispered, as she seemed breaking her heart with it. "Why
don't you know all the world's like that? Don't you know we all can be
fine and free until it comes up against _our_ lives?"

"I was so _hard_!" she sobbed.

"Yes--I know. We are hard--when it's our lives are touched. Don't cry,
Katie." He spoke her name timidly and lingeringly. "Isn't that what life
is? Just one long thing of trying and failing? But going on trying again!
That's what you'll do."

"If you can find her for me! But I never can hold up my head again--never
believe in myself--never do anything--why I never can laugh again--not
really laugh--if you don't find her for me."

A curious look passed over his face with those last words. "Well if
that's the case," he said, with a strange little laugh of his own, "I've
got to find her."

They talked of things. He would go to the station. He would do what he
could. If he thought anything to be gained by it he would go on to
Chicago. He had to go in a few days anyhow, he explained, to see about
some work, and if it didn't seem a mere wild goose chase he would go
that night.

The change in Katie, the life which came back to her eyes, rewarded him.

"I'd go with you to the station," she said, "only we're giving a big
dinner to-night."

She thought his face