"I have been afraid of it, but it has been impossible to get hold of anything definite," replied Sally gravely. "Even you aren't telling me anything definite, although I believe you would if you knew it." He nodded. "You may be sure I would, Sally." "It is really curious how hard it is for people to find out what concerns them most nearly," she continued. "Everybody is most considerate of one's feelings." She gave another hard little laugh. "I've not much doubt that almost everybody in town, excepting Charlie's relatives and near friends,--if he has any,--has known of this for a long time. It would have been the part of kindness to tell me." "If it had been more than mere rumor," Doctor Beatty agreed, "it would have been. I understand," he went on with a quiet smile, "that that was Mrs. Upjohn's idea in telling Patty. She considered the rumor verified. Her motive seems to have been good, but the method adopted was bad; very bad. It's difficult, at best." Sally was silent again for some time. "Poor Patty!" she murmured. "It's hard on her. If she has lost money in that way I must pay her back." Doctor Beatty made no reply. Sally had not said it to him. "I believe," she said, turning to him, "that I know how I can find out all about it--from a trustworthy source," she added, smiling gravely, "as Miss Lambkin would put it." The doctor muttered impatiently under his breath. Letty Lambkin! But he had done his errand, for which service Sally thanked him again. Doctor Beatty had been gone but a few minutes when Horry Carling came in. He nodded pleasantly to Sally and was taking off his overcoat. "Horry," said Sally suddenly, "what has Charlie been doing?" Horry stopped, his coat hanging by the arms and his mouth open, and looked at her. He was very much startled. "Wh--wh--what?" he asked at last. "I asked you what Charlie has been doing. What mischief has he been up to? I am pretty sure he has been misbehaving himself since he has been in college. How? Has he been in bad company?" "W--w--well, y--y--yes," Horry stammered, getting rather red, "I th--th--think h--he h--h--has." "Do you mean women, Horry?" Horry's face went furiously red at that question. "N--n--n--no,"--he was in such a hurry to say it that he was longer than usual about it,--"n--n--n--noth--th--thing of th--th--that k--k--kind, th--th--that I kn--n--now of. G--g--g--gam--m--" "Gambling, Horry?" Sally asked the question calmly, as if she merely wanted to know. She did want to know, very much, but not merely. Knowing was the first step.