Mr. MacKenzie's secretary, who stated that her employer had gone
to Mexico on business that might detain him for several weeks.

"A letter addressed by you to Mr. MacKenzie arrived after his
departure and is being held for him with other personal
communications until his return; but being assured that you are
the Jessie Adair Blake, now Sherwood -- to whom the enclosed
letter from Scotland is addressed, I take the liberty of
forwarding the same. The Scotch letter reached us after Mr.
MacKenzie's departure, likewise. Will you please acknowledge the
receipt of the enclosure and oblige?"

This much of the contents of the secretary's letter was of
particular interest to the Sherwoods. Momsey's voice shook a
little as she finished reading it. Plainly she was disappointed.

"Cousin Adair, I am sure, would have suggested something helpful
had he been at home," she said sadly. "It, it is a great
disappointment, Robert."

"Well, well!" replied Mr. Sherwood, perhaps not without some
secret relief. "It will all come out right. At least, your
cousin hasn't refused his assistance. We shall be established
somewhere before he returns from his Mexican trip."

"I, I did depend so much upon Adair's good will and advice,"
signed Momsey.

"But, dear me suz!" gasped Nan impatiently. "What are you folks
bothering over that for? It isn't Cousin Adair that I want to