When Grace had repeated the details of their call at the hospital to Jessica, the latter had turned very white, but had said bravely, “I expected it.  We will go with you on Tuesday.  Shall I prepare Mabel for it?”

“No,” Grace had replied.  “We may find ourselves mistaken, and think what a cruel disappointment it would be to Mabel.  I don’t mean by that Jessica, that Mabel is anxious to leave you, but you know perfectly well that the desire of Mabel’s life is that she may some day find her parents.”

In almost utter silence the four chums, accompanied by Mabel Allison, crossed the campus and turned into High School Street at the close of the afternoon session on Tuesday.  Each girl seemed busy with her own thoughts.

“What has come over you girls?” inquired Mabel curiously.  “When four of the liveliest girls in school become mum as the proverbial oyster, surely something is going to happen.”

“‘Coming events cast their shadows before’” said Anne half dreamily.

“Well, I wish they’d stop casting shadows over my little playmates then,” laughed Mabel.

At this remark Grace made an effort to appear unconcerned.

“Are you going to play on the junior basketball team this year, Mabel?” she asked, by way of changing the subject.

“I don’t know,” replied Mabel.  “I feel as though I ought to study every minute I am in High School, in order to be more thoroughly capable of earning my own living.  I don’t expect to be forever dependent upon my friends.”

“Dependent, indeed,” sniffed Jessica.  “You know perfectly well, you bad child, that papa and I have been the gainers since you came to us, and now—­” she stopped just in time.

“‘And now,’ what?” asked Mabel.

“Here we are at the hospital,” broke in Nora without giving Jessica time to answer.

The little party waited what seemed to them an interminable length of time; although it was in reality not more than five minutes before the attendant returned with the news that they might see the patient in 47.

Grace had purposely voiced their request in so low a tone that Mabel had not heard her mention the patient’s name, and she accompanied the four girls without the faintest idea of what their call might mean to her.

“Now for it,” breathed Grace, as they paused at the door of 47.

“Come in,” said a sweet voice, in answer to the attendant’s knock, and the five girls were ushered into Mrs. Allison’s presence.

“How are my young friends, to-day!” she cried gayly, rising from the easy chair in which she was sitting and coming forward with out-stretched hands.

“Very well, indeed,” replied Grace, Anne and Nora in a breath as they shook hands.

“Mrs. Allison,” said Grace hurriedly, “these are my friends, Miss Jessica Bright and Miss Mabel Allison.”

The woman who was in the act of acknowledging the introduction to Jessica started violently when Grace pronounced Mabel’s name, dropped Jessica’s hand and began to tremble as she caught sight of Mabel, who stood behind Jessica, an expression of amazement in her brown eyes, that the patient’s name should be the same as her own.