d we waited till bime-by the minister said the bride
wasn't well enough to proceed with the ceremony and would they all go
home, and I just slipped out before the folks got their wraps on and
took a side street with wings to my feet and got up here! Haven't they
brought her home yet, the poor wee thing? I been thinkin' they might
need me yet, for many's the time I've brought her round by my nursin'."

The two maids looked wildly at one another, their glances growing into
incredulity, the eyebrows of Marie moving toward her well-dressed hair
with a lofty disapproval.

"Well, you'd better come with me, Candy," said Aileen drawing the
excited old servant along the hall to the back corridor gently. "I guess
there's some mistake somewheres; anyway, you better stay in my room till
you see what happens. We haven't heard anything yet, and they'd likely
send word pretty soon if there's to be any change in the program. You
say she fell----?"

But just then sounds of excitement came distantly up to them and Aileen
hastened back to the gallery to listen. It was the voice of Madam
Stanhope angrily speaking to her youngest son:

"You must get Bessemer on the 'phone at once and order him home! I told
you it was a great mistake sending him away. If he had been standing
there, where she could see him, everything would have gone through just
as we planned it----"

"Aw! Rot! Mother. Can't you shut up? I know what I'm about and I'm going
to call up another detective. Bessemer may go to the devil for all I
care! How do you know but he has, and taken her with him? The first
thing to do is to get that girl back! You ought to have had more sense
than to show your whole hand to my brother. You might have known he'd
take advantage----"

Herbert Hutton slammed into the telephone booth under the stairs and
Madam Stanhope was almost immediately aware of the staring servants who
were trying not to seem to have listened.

Mrs. Stanhope stood in the midst of the beautiful empty rooms and
suddenly realized her position. Her face froze into the haughty lines
with which her menage was familiar, and she was as coldly beautiful in
her exquisite heliotrope gown of brocaded velvet and chiffon with the
glitter of jewels about her smooth plump neck, and in her carefully
marcelled black hair as if she were quietly awaiting the bridal party
instead of facing defeat and mortification:

"Aileen, you may get Miss Betty's room ready to receive her. She has