Maggie took up her letter and opened it slowly.

"At Spilman's. He was buying something for his room. He----" Rosalind
blushed all over her face.

Maggie took her letter out of its envelope. She looked at the first
two or three words, then laid it, open as it was, on the table.

"Thank you, Rosalind," she said in her usual tone. "It was kind of you
to bring this, certainly; but Mr. Hammond would have done better--
yes, undoubtedly better-- had he sent his letter by post. There would
have been no mystery about it then, and I should have received it at
least two hours ago. Thank you, Rosalind, all the same-- good night."

Rosalind Merton stepped demurely out of the room. In the corridor,
however, a change come over her small childish face. Her blue eyes
became full of angry flame and she clenched her baby hand and shook it
in the direction of the closed door.

"Oh, Maggie Oliphant, what a deceiver you are!" she murmured. "You
think that I'm a baby and notice nothing, but I'm on the alert now,
and I'll watch-- and watch. I don't love you any longer, Maggie
Oliphant. Who loves being snubbed? Oh, of course, you pretend you
don't care about that letter! But I know you do care; and I'll get
hold of all your secrets before many weeks are over, see if I don't!"

CHAPTER VIII

THE KINDEST AND MOST COMFORTING WAY