He was looking for something in his blouse.

"I had a note from Tavia," he said. "She has gone away--"

"Gone away!" gasped the sick girl.

"Oh, only for a little while. Where is that note!"

The boy unbuttoned his waist, he even shook it out straight from the
string, but no note was to be found in its folds.

"I could not have lost it!" he said, now quite alarmed that the note
should have gotten out of his possession.

"What was it about?" asked Dorothy.

"Why--about--about why she went away," stammered the boy, helplessly.

"Don't you know what was in it?"

"No, it was sealed, and no one but you was to open it. Where could I
have dropped it? I had it--let me see."

The fear that he had dropped the missive where it might be picked up by
those not in sympathy with Tavia, and her troubles, now troubled Joe
sorely. He had promised the girl, most particularly, that he would
deliver the note to his sister that night, and he waited at Dorothy's
door, risking the displeasure of Aunt Libby in keeping that promise. But
now the very worst thing had happened--the note was lost!