"I'm not exactly angry, Bessie," said Eleanor. "I was hurt, but I'm
beginning to see that very likely I am wrong, and that they were
honestly mistaken, not deliberately ungrateful. At any rate, if Charlie
Jamieson can stand the way Zara's father treats him, I guess I don't
need to worry about it."

"Then may I go?"

"Yes, and hurry, or you'll find that he's left his office. You won't be
long, will you?"

"No, indeed; only a few minutes. Will you be here in this store, Miss
Eleanor, when I come back?"

"Yes, I'll meet you at the ribbon counter."

"Thank you, thank you ever so much, Miss Eleanor! I'll hurry just as
much as I can, and I certainly won't be long."

Then she was off, and luckily enough she found that the lawyer had not
yet gone. He listened to her suggestion with a smile.

"By George," he said, when she had finished, "maybe you've hit the right
idea, Bessie, at that! I'm afraid I can't manage it today, but I'll take
you to the jail myself in the morning, and see that you get a chance to
talk to him. I doubt if he'll say anything, he's either obstinate or
badly frightened. But it's worth the chance, if you don't mind going to
the jail to see him. It's not a very nice place, you know."

Bessie laughed.