"I haven't seen Harrie for two weeks. Ever since I've been here he's
been writing me he was sick." Madeleine's words came stumblingly,
and the corners of her handkerchief were pulled with nervous
movements in between the wiping of her pretty brown eyes. "The day
after Christmas I wrote him, breaking our engagement. I've never
heard from him since. I don't even know that he got my letter."
Questioningly she looked at Selwyn, and her face, already colored,
crimsoned yet more deeply.

"Neither do I." Selwyn's voice was gentle. Indignation at his and
my involvement in what was not an affair of ours seemed to have
vanished. "I redirected a number of letters to his new address,
but--"

"His new address?" Madeleine looked puzzled. "I didn't know he had
a new address."

"He is not living at home just now." The flush in Selwyn's face
deepened also. "I have not seen him since Christmas day. But go on.
I did not mean to interrupt you."

"Three days ago Madeleine told her mother she'd broken with Harrie
and was going to marry me." Tom was no longer to be repressed.
"She's had the devil of a time ever since, and yesterday I told her
she shouldn't stand it any longer, and neither would I. Harrie has
hypnotized her mother. She thinks--"

"I'm unkind and unsympathetic and hard and cruel to give him up
because he is not well. It isn't that. You know it isn't that--"
Madeleine's fingers twisted in appeal and again her eyes were on