l to work again, and not come to dinner at all.

So Patty said, "No, come as you are," and she gave Azalea's hair a
touch, and pulled her collar straight.

Farnsworth watched the "queer" girl all through dinner. Azalea had
improved somewhat in manners, though her notions of table etiquette
still left much to be desired.

To-night she was unlike herself. She answered in monosyllables when
spoken to, and paid no attention to the conversation of the others.

"I expect my friend Elise Farrington to-morrow," said Patty; "I'm sure
you'll like her, Azalea."

"Will she like me?" said the girl, indifferently.

"If she doesn't, it will be your own fault," and Patty took advantage of
the opportunity for a word of warning. "Elise is a person of strong
likes and dislikes. If you try to be real nice and courteous she will
certainly like you, and if you're rude and blunt, I don't believe she
will. Do you care, Azalea, whether she does or not?"

"No," said Azalea, calmly, and Patty gave a sigh of despair. What was
the use of trying to help a girl who acted like that?

Farnsworth, too, shook his head, and glanced at Patty with a
sympathetic smile, and then they talked together to the entire exclusion
of Azalea, who was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn't even
notice them.

Not waiting for coffee, when the others went to the library, Azalea,
with the briefest "good-night," went up to her room, and again locked
her door.

"What does ail her?" exclaimed Patty, as she and her husband sipped
their coffee.

"I don't know,--but I'm going to find out. Any letter from her father
to-day?"

"No; I looked over her mail. Oh, it does seem awful, to look
inquisitively at another's letters!"

"It's necessary, dear, in this case. There's a big mystery about Azalea
Thorpe, and we must solve it, or there'll be trouble!"

"I wish you'd tell me all about it."

"I will, soon. Trust me, darling, I'd rather not say what I suspect,
until I've a little more reason for my suspicion. It's _too_ incredible!
And yet,--it _must_ be so!"

"All right, my True Love. I can wait. Now, listen, and I'll tell you of
the marvellous achievement of your daughter to-day!"

And Farnsworth listened with all his heart to the amazing tale of
Fleurette's intelligent observation of a red balloon.

The next day Elise came.

"Here I am!" she cried, as she stepped from the motor, and flew into
Patty's embrace. "Where's your eccentric cousin I've heard