little girl would have to pay her price and his, were she his wife,
for no one would receive her. That's hardly the question before us,
however. To find where Harrie is, find if anything is wrong, if he's
ill--"

The sharp, sudden ringing of the telephone on the table behind me
made me start, and, jumping up like a frightened child, I stood close
to Selwyn. "Who on earth-- It's half past twelve. Who can want me
at this time of night?" I started to take the receiver from its
hook, but, laughing at me, Selwyn got it first.

"One would think a spook was going to spring at you. Central's given
the wrong number, I guess. Hello! Who is that?"

Watching with as strained eagerness as if I were hearing, I saw
Selwyn lean forward, after admitting that the number wanted was the
right one, and heard him ask again: "Who is it? Who did you say?"

For the next five minutes there was snatchy, excited, and incoherent
conversation over the telephone, during which Selwyn and I alternated
in the talking in an effort to learn what Tom Cressy was saying at
the other end of the line, and what it was he wanted me to do. Tom's
voice was not distinct and caution was making it difficult to
understand what we finally got from him, which was that he wanted to
bring Madeleine down to spend the night with me; that they had
started to go away to be married and missed the train by one minute,
owing to an accident to the automobile they were in. The next train
did not leave until 4 A.M. Could Madeleine stay with me until train
time?