“I don’t know a thing about it.  I went over to the office—­an appointment—­and when I came back—­hurried back because I was worried about you—­I saw her going away in the Osborne car.”

“And never tried to stop her?”

“See here, Katie.  Why should I stop her?  Best thing you can do is let her go.”

“Do you know—­do you know,” choked Katie—­“that she may kill herself?”

He laughed.  “Oh I guess not.  Calm down, Katie.  She had her wits about her, all right.  I heard her tell the man to drive her to the station.  She had sense enough to take advantage of the car, you see.  I guess she knows the ropes.  Don’t think she has much notion of killing herself.”

“Oh you don’t.  Much you know about it!  You with your fine noble understanding of life!” She turned away, sobbing.  “What shall I do?  What shall I do?”

But in a moment she stopped.  “The thing for me to do,” she said, “is telephone the Osbornes’ chauffeur.”

Which she did.  Yes, he had taken the young lady to the station.  He didn’t know where she was going.  He just pulled in to the station and then pulled right out again—­she told him there was nothing more to do.  He didn’t believe she bought a ticket.  He saw her walking out to get a train.  No, he didn’t know what train.  There were two or three trains standing there.

“What can I do?” Katie kept murmuring frantically.

Suddenly her face lighted.  She sat there thinking for a moment, then called her brother’s office.  Wayne, she was glad to find, was not there.  She asked if she might speak to Mr. Ferguson.

“Mr. Ferguson,” she said, “this is—­this is Captain Jones’ sister.  I want for a very particular—­a very imperative reason—­to speak at once to the—­to your friend—­that man—­why the man that mends the boats, you know.  Could you get word for him to come here—­here, to my house—­right away?  Tell him it’s very—­oh very important.  Tell him Miss Jones says she—­needs him.”

Ferguson said it was just quitting time.  He’d go up there on his wheel.  He thought he could find him.  He would send him right down.

She admired the way he controlled what must have been his astonishment.

The man who mended the boats would come.  He would know what to do.  He would help her.  She would keep as calm as she could until he got there.

But surely—­surely—­Ann wouldn’t go away and leave her without a word!  Ann couldn’t be so cruel as to let her worry like that.  Why of course—­Ann had left a note for her.

So she looked for the note—­tossed everything in the room topsy-turvey.  Even looked in the closet.

Again she heard Nora in the hall.  “Nora,” she said, and Katie’s face was white and pleading, “didn’t Miss Ann say anything about leaving me a note?”

“Why yes, Miss Kate—­yes—­sure she did.  I was so upset about them champagne glasses—­”

“Well, where is it?  Oh, hurry, Nora.  Tell me.”