rested upon her.

But Miss Strange!--where was she? He could not feel quite easy
till he knew.

"Have any of you seen Miss Strange?" he asked, as they sat down
at table. And his eyes sought the Inseparables.

Five lovely heads were shaken, some carelessly, some wonderingly,
and one, with a quick, forced smile. But he was in no mood to
discriminate, and he had beckoned one of the servants to him,
when a step was heard at the door and the delinquent slid in and
took her place, in a shamefaced manner suggestive of a cause
deeper than mere tardiness. In fact, she had what might be called
a frightened air, and stared into her plate, avoiding every eye,
which was certainly not natural to her. What did it mean? and
why, as she made a poor attempt at eating, did four of the
Inseparables exchange glances of doubt and dismay and then
concentrate their looks upon his daughter? That Alicia failed to
notice this, but sat abloom above her roses now fastened in a
great bunch upon her breast, offered him some comfort, yet, for
all the volubility of his chief guests, the meal was a great
trial to his patience, as well as a poor preparation for the hour
when, the noble pair gone, he stepped into the library to find
Miss Strange awaiting him with one hand behind her back and a
piteous look on her infantile features.

"O, Mr. Driscoll," she began,--and then he saw that a group of
anxious girls hovered in her rear--"my pendant! my beautiful
pendant! It is gone! Somebody reached in from the balcony and