"Because she wouldn't let him, I suppose."

"Oh!" said the others, nodding their heads, thoughtfully.

"When the nurse came," the sister Serene continued, "the widow went
to a desk and wrote a letter and brought it to Dick. Then says the
widow, says she: 'You take this to my uncle in Boston. If you can
make him give his consent, I'd be glad to see you again.'

"Dick, he rushed off that very evening an' took the cars at Madrid.
What do you suppose the letter said?"

The sister Serene began to shake with laughter.

"What?" was the eager demand of the two sisters.

"Well, the widow told the nurse and she told Mary Jones and Mary
told me. The letter was kind o' short and about like this:--

"'Pardon me for introducing a scamp by the name of Roberts. He's
engaged to a very sweet young lady and has the impudence to make
love to me. I wish to get him out of this town for a while, and
can't think of any better way. Don't use him too roughly. He was
a detective once himself.'

"Well, in a couple of days the widow got a telegraph message from
her uncle, an' what do you suppose it said?"

The sister Serene covered her face and began to quiver. The other
two were leaning toward her, smiling, their mouths open.