"Margaret Savage is so--so _empty_, you see," Henrietta went on. "She would not be exhilarating. But I won't say any more about her." "It isn't really necessary," Sally returned, laughing. "And the less said the better," Henrietta concluded. "I don't know why, but it reminds me of your Cousin Patty. Dick hasn't told me much of anything," Henrietta lowered her voice. "Do you suppose it is true that she is losing her mind?" "Did Dick tell you that?" asked Sally, startled. Henrietta shook her head. "I heard it talked about." "I have no reason to think so. She gets queerer and more cranky every year. She has changed a good deal since Uncle John died. Poor Patty! She has very little comfort in life--except Charlie." Sally laughed shortly. "I hope she finds him a comfort." Henrietta did not know what to say. Consequently she said nothing, which was, no doubt, just the right thing. "Charlie will be home to-morrow," Sally added; then she corrected herself. "I should have said that Charlie is due to-morrow. He may not come." "Oh, Sally!" Henrietta cried. "What makes you speak so? It--it sounds horrible." "It's the simple fact, Henrietta." "Why don't you do something about it? I would." Sally gave a little shrug. "What would you do? There is nothing to be done. Charlie's a headstrong boy and he seems to have slipped away altogether from mother's control. Patty indulges him and I don't see how I can do anything. If he had really done anything wrong and I knew it, it would be a different matter. I don't know that he has--but," she added in a low voice, "I don't know that he hasn't." Henrietta chanced to glance at the watch upon her wrist. "Oh, mercy me!" she cried, springing to her feet. "I didn't know it was so late. I've got to meet Dick in five minutes. Good bye, Sally." Henrietta was gone, running down the stairs. She need not have hurried so, for Dick was late. He was so late that she had become hotly impatient and then angry with him. Indeed, she was just going away, hurt and angry, when Dick appeared, hurrying as if he were pursued by devils and smiling propitiatingly. "I'm awfully sorry to be so late, Henrietta," he began. "I simply could not get away from those two bores. I came just as soon as I could without throwing them out of the office." Henrietta's anger was dissolved like a morning mist. "Who was it, Dick?" "The Carling twins. It took them a long time to say what they wanted to, for you know they still stutter." "I've never seen them, although I've heard of them. What were they trying to say?" "Oh, I don't know. To tell the truth, I was so afraid of being late that I didn't pay as much attention as I ought to have."